President Biden on Friday defended his decision to veto the US-facilitated transfer of fighter jets to Ukraine to repel Russia’s invasion, saying, “that’s called World War III.”
Biden faces bipartisan blowback for rejecting Poland’s offer to transfer 28 Soviet-designed MiG-29s — after Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that Poland had a “green light.”
“The idea that we’re going to send in offensive equipment and have planes and tanks and trains going in with American pilots and American crews — just understand, don’t kid yourself, no matter what y’all say, that’s called World War III,” Biden told a gathering of House Democrats in Philadelphia.
Poland offered to fly the jets to Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where the US would facilitate the transfer. It was unclear whether US or Ukrainian pilots would fly the planes into Ukraine pursuant to the spiked Polish plan.
Biden went on to defend his economic record — blaming Russian President Vladimir Putin for annual inflation hitting a fresh 40-year high of 7.9 percent in February, up from 7.5 percent in January.
“One-third of all the inflation in America last year was because of the price of automobiles… the companies couldn’t get semiconductors,” Biden said. “The second big reason for inflation is Vladimir Putin. From the moment he put his over 150,000 troops on the Ukrainian border, the price of gasoline in January went up 75 cents.”
Biden continued: “Putin began amassing troops along the border and guess what? The world took notice. And those who would work in the business know that the market anticipated — the prices went up more. Then Putin invaded. Make no mistake, inflation is largely the fault of Putin.”
Inflation began to take off before the White House started warning in November that a Russian troop buildup near Ukraine could be a prelude to an invasion.
Biden previously blamed inflation on supply chain issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In December, he claimed that the prior month’s 6.8 percent annual inflation rate was likely the “peak.” He said in July that inflation was “temporary” when it was around 5 percent.
Biden insisted that his $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan and his policies of curbing oil pipeline projects and drilling had little effect on inflation.
“Let’s get something straight here: The Keystone Pipeline was two years away. It had been 2 percent finished. Give me a break,” the president said 14 months after blocking the controversial project.
Biden blamed energy companies for not drilling for more oil, saying, “the oil companies and executives, they don’t want to pump more oil.”
“Don’t tell me gas prices rose because I’ve slowed down the American energy production,” he said before arguing that “Putin’s gas tax has pushed prices up higher.”
This is an excerpt from the New York Post.
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