Philly Councilmember David Oh just called for a partial no-fly zone over Ukraine

In a bizarre exchange, Philadelphia City Council on Thursday debated the merits of a no-fly zone over humanitarian convoys in Ukraine and ultimately voted against calling for such an escalation of tensions in Russia’s invasion.

Councilmember David Oh, who is one of two Republicans on Council, introduced a symbolic resolution calling for the no-fly zone, noting that it had been requested by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Councilmember Helen Gym said a no-fly zone imposed by the U.S. or NATO could be construed by Russia as an act of war, possibly triggering a global conflict.

”I do not believe our City Council body should issue a declaration of war,” Gym said.

Oh countered by saying a world war was already in the offing and standing up to Russian President Vladimir Putin was the only way to prevent it.

“We are headed to World War III because there are nine nations with nuclear weapons and one of them is not concerned with World War III,” he said. “A nation with nuclear weapons has crossed the border into a democratic country.”

Council approves almost all symbolic resolutions — which are statements of the body’s will, and not acts of law — in unanimous voice votes. The initial voice vote on Oh’s resolution was split, but with a majority appearing to oppose the measure.

Oh then called for a roll-call vote, leading Council President Darrell L. Clarke to express frustration that an issue so far from Council’s work was taking up so much of its time.

Oh, however, insisted on the roll call, and he was joined in voting for the resolution by Council members Allan Domb, Brian J. O’Neill, Maria Quiñones-Sánchez, Mark Squilla, and Clarke, who added that the reason he supported the measure was that he has become angry at Putin while watching news from the war.

Voting against the resolution were Gym, Derek Green, Kendra Brooks, Jamie Gauthier, Katherine Gilmore Richardson, Curtis Jones Jr., Cherelle L. Parker, and Isaiah Thomas.

Jones and Thomas both said they would have preferred to abstain from the vote, but were not allowed to do so because it is a resolution.