No NATO support for no-fly zone and Vindman says Johnson has blood on his hands

No NATO support for no-fly zone as Russians keep up offensive

• NATO countries supporting Ukraine against the Russian invasion have a “green light” to send fighter jets as part of their military aid, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday. But NATO countries have ruled out policing a no-fly zone, which would bar all unauthorized aircraft from flying over Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Moscow would consider any third-party declaration of a no-fly zone over Ukraine as "participation'' in the armed conflict.

• A second attempt at a cease-fire meant to allow civilians and the wounded to be evacuated from besieged Mariupol in southern Ukraine came apart under shelling from Russian forces Sunday, leaving the port city in dire need of food, water, medicine and other supplies.

• Over 1.5 million people have fled Ukraine into neighboring nations, the U.N. refugee agency said, making it the worst such crisis in Europe since World War II.

'Blood on their hands': Alexander Vindman rips Ron Johnson and others on Ukraine

• "Civilians are dying, Ukrainians are providing a formidable defense, defending democracy for Americans as well as for themselves and their homes. And Ron Johnson is trying to distract and obfuscate," Vindman said in an interview with the Journal Sentinel. He was responding to comments made Feb. 27 by Johnson on Fox News.

• "I don't think Vladimir Putin would have moved on Ukraine were it not for the weakness displayed ― certainly by the Biden administration, but by the West in general," Johnson said in the interview. "I'm certainly hoping that Col. Vindman, Adam Schiff, Nancy Pelosi ― who used Ukraine as a pawn in their impeachment travesty ― are also recognizing and reflecting about how they weakened Ukraine, weakened the West, weakened America by the divisive politics that they play." On Sunday, Johnson's office said he stood by the statement.

• "He's responsible more so than many of his colleagues for creating a situation in which the U.S. actually might find itself in a hot war," Vindman said of Johnson.

Taxpayers covered the costs for Michael Gableman to headline a Republican political event

• The former Supreme Court justice billed taxpayers $234 for roundtrip travel from his office in Brookfield to the Chippewa County Republican Party event. Ann Jacobs, the Democratic chairwoman of the Wisconsin Elections Commission, expressed amazement at the situation. “It seems to me that the Assembly ought to be taking a much closer look at the invoices and similar requests for payment that Mr. Gableman keeps submitting because they certainly don’t appear to comport with the ordinary rules for state employees and that should concern the Assembly,” she said.

• Taxpayers are not supposed to cover costs for political work. An aide to Gableman did not respond to an email asking why Gableman billed the state for his travel to Chippewa Falls.

• Angela Joyce, a spokeswoman for Speaker Robin Vos, said Gableman would have to pay the money back but didn't say when that would happen.

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The Money

LABOR: Wisconsin has lost more union jobs since 2000 than any other state.

AIRPORTS: Low-cost flights to vacation destinations are driving growth at the Appleton and Green Bay airports

The Fun Stuff

BAKHTIARI: Packers offensive tackle David Bakhtiari married Frankie Shebby in an outdoor ceremony Saturday in California.

SPIRIT AWARDS: Michael Sarnoski, who grew up in Milwaukee, won for the best first screenplay for the Nicolas Cage movie 'Pig' at the Film Independent Spirit Awards,

The Games

BUCKS: In a rematch of the Finals, the Bucks hold off the Suns 132-122. In their last three games, they've beaten the Heat, Bulls and Suns. Warming up for the playoffs.

BADGERS: This one stung a bit. The Badgers failed to clinch an outright title by losing to lowly Nebraska. Illinois, by beating Iowa later Sunday, took a share of the title and will be the #1 seed in the Big Ten tournament because they beat the Badgers in their only meeting this year. Now we need to hope Johnny Davis, who was injured Sunday, is ready for Friday, when the Badgers will be playing either Michigan St. or Maryland.

AROUND WISCONSIN

STOUGHTON: An EF1 tornado with a wind speed of about 95 mph touched down in Dane County during Saturday night's storms, according to the National Weather Service.

RECORD BUCK: An Abbotsford deer hunter's 'buck of a lifetime' has set a Wisconsin crossbow record.

Today in Wisconsin History

On March 7, 1859, the board of trustees of the Mutual Life Insurance Company of Wisconsin voted to move the company from Janesville to Milwaukee. Five years later, the company changed its name to reflect its broadening scope — to Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. The company now goes by Northwestern Mutual. - Chris Foran

Today's Weather

This is March in Wisconsin. Always has been: Two to four inches of wet, heavy snow before it's done at noon or so.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: No NATO support for no-fly zone