Matthew Miller:  "We Are Not Going To Be In Direct Armed Conflict With Russia"

The United States said on Tuesday that its relationship with Ukraine was "entirely different" than its partnership with Israel amid questions over Washington's involvement in both nations' conflicts.

"Israel is a major non-NATO ally of the United States... Ukraine is just in a different position in that we did not have that kind of agreement with them prior to the immediate months before this conflict," State Department's spokesperson Matthew Miller told TURAN's Washington correspondent during daily briefing.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in his latest interview with a U.S. outlet, voiced frustration with the allies coming to Israel’s direct defense when Iran launched missiles at the nation, saying Ukraine hasn’t been defended because it’s not a part of NATO. “I want to ask you a question, is Israel part of NATO or not?” Zelenskyy asked rhetorically.

"... I think it is important to note the context that we have an entirely different relationship with Ukraine and Israel, in that our relationship with Israel goes back decades in terms of a security partnership," Miller said in response.

"We have had a decades-long security partnership with Israel where we have been providing them direct aid, not just going back two years of a conflict, but for decades," he continued, adding that Ukraine was "just in a different position."

Miller explained that should Washington send planes "to be in the skies over Ukraine," the U.S. would have to be in an armed military conflict with Russia.

"And we are not going to be in direct armed conflict with Russia," he continued. "The president of the United States has made that very clear, and I think it's in the interest of the American people that we not be in direct armed conflict with Russia, because we do not want World War III."

"That said, we are entirely committed to the defense of Ukraine," Miller emphasized. "We have proved that over the past two years. The president has proved that."

Miller also put a spotlight on Republicans in Congress who have blocked efforts to provide additional military assistance to Ukraine, saying that passing a supplemental spending bill "would allow us to provide more equipment, including more air defense systems to Ukraine that they very much need."