Poland and the Biden administration have played hot potato with jets for Ukraine's air defense, proving the President Joe Biden's weakness to stand up to Russia's Vladimir Putin, according to Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on Newsmax.
"All of a sudden, Poland giving fighter jets that the Ukrainians can fly is a problem," Graham told Wednesday's "Eric Bolling: The Balance." "They were all for Poland doing it and Poland called America's bluff.
"Give them the damn jets."
Graham, who has repeatedly called for Russia to stage a coup against Putin, up to including assassination, says the world needs to stand up to his attempt to reconstitute the old Soviet Union – although he stopped short of U.S. involvement: "I'm not asking for no-fly zone, but I am asking to give jets to the Ukrainian pilots are willing to fly them."
"[Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Ukrainians are fighting for their freedom, and they'll fight to the death," Graham told host Eric Bolling. "This is not about NATO being near Russia.
"This is about Russia, under Putin's control, trying to reconstruct the Soviet Union. If you don't get that, you're not listening to what he's saying. Moldova would be next, and he'll move to the Baltics, so we need to stop him in Ukraine."
While many note providing jets and airbases to Ukrainian pilots would violate Putin's red line on NATO intervention into his "special military operation," Graham said the jets and airbases are the least America can do, but the Biden administration refuses to take that step, he lamented.
"No American ground forces, but we do need to help Ukrainians where we can, so there's planes available that the Ukraine can fly," Graham continued. "And this administration, the Biden administration is being consistent: Every time there's a challenge, they fail."
Graham noted former President Donald Trump send Ukraine lethal aid, but the Biden administration is backing down to Putin's warnings against NATO defending Ukraine's sovereignty.
"It makes zero sense," Graham said. "We're sending in Javelins – Trump did this, right, anti-tank missiles. We're sending in stinger anti-aircraft missiles. Trump did this. We're sending in ammo, we're sending in guns, but all of a sudden, Poland giving fighter jets that the Ukrainians can fly is a problem."
Graham called it "ridiculous" to be concerned supporting jets to Ukraine would cause Putin to see it as an act of aggression.
"We're not gonna let Putin run NATO," Graham continued. "We're not gonna let Putin gobble up people because we're afraid of him. I don't want to war with Russia. I hate war. I love freedom."
Graham noted Russia made a vow to not invade Ukraine when it gave up its nuclear arsenal to Russia – the third largest in the world at the time – in a 1994 pact.
"Putin's not about having a buffer zone with NATO," Graham added. "It's about reconstructing the former Soviet Union. Would you want to live under Putin's Russia? I wouldn't, so I don't blame the Ukrainians for not want to let Putin run their country.
"I want to help them, so they need the planes. Everything is provocative."
Despite talk of World War III, Graham noted he does not believe Putin is willing to blow up the world for Ukraine.
"The French gave the best answer: We have nuclear weapons, too," Graham said. "Do I believe that Putin's going to blow up the whole world? No, I don't. I believe people around them wouldn't let that happen; they'd shoot him if they had to, to stop him.
Adding, "Here's what I believe: If Trump were president, none of this would be happening."
Biden and his administration has allowed Putin to walk over the world and will continue to do so, Graham concluded.
"The Russians' military has become almost a joke: Give the Ukrainian night-vision goggles so they can take the fight to the Russians at night; increase their air-defense capability so they can defend their skies," Graham said. "You've got other NATO nations that fly MiGs that are willing to give them to the Ukrainians, and the hold up has been the United States.
"These are the same people, the Biden administration, that did not want to hit Putin early on when he had 100,000 troops on the Ukrainian border. We don't want to provoke Putin.
"What have they done? They've let Putin walk all over them. They've let Putin kill civilians. He's the biggest war criminal in the 21st century. Enough already when it comes to giving Putin a pass.
"So, night-vision goggles, more anti-missile defense capability, more jet fighters, and pray for the people of the Ukraine. I think how this turns out depends what China will do with Taiwan and what Iran will do with their nuclear program."
"So what stays in what happens the Ukraine, Eric, doesn't stay in the Ukraine."
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