Top Republican says no-fly zone over Ukraine could lead to 'beginning of World War III'

Marco Rubio appeared on ABC's "This Week" Sunday.

Sen. Marco Rubio, vice chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said the call to establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine amid Russia's unprovoked invasion could lead to the "beginning of World War III."

"But I think people need to understand what a no-fly zone means. It's not just -- it's not some rule you pass that everybody has to oblige by," Rubio, R-Fla., told ABC "This Week" anchor George Stephanopoulos on Sunday. "It's the willingness to shoot down the aircrafts of the Russian Federation, which is basically the beginning of World War III."

Stephanopoulos followed up, asking, "How about this provision of fighter jets? We would provide the fighter jets to Poland, other Eastern European nations, they would send the jets they now have to Ukraine, do you support that?"

"I do. If that can be done, that would be great," Rubio answered. "I do have concerns about a couple of things. And that is sort of, you know, can they actually fly them given the amount of anti-aircraft capability that the Russians possess and continue to have deployed in the region?"