Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky lashed NATO on Friday for ruling out a no-fly zone over his country saying the Western military alliance knew further Russian aggression was likely. Earlier Friday, NATO rejected Ukraine’s request to impose a no-fly zone to halt Russia’s bombing, but Western allies did warn President Vladimir Putin of fresh sanctions if he does not stop the war.
“Knowing that new strikes and casualties are inevitable, NATO deliberately decided not to close the sky over Ukraine,” Zelensky said in a video published by the presidency. “We believe that the NATO countries themselves have created a narrative that the closing of the skies over Ukraine would provoke direct Russian aggression against NATO.”
But what is NATO and what does the refusal on no-fly zone order mean for the Russia-Ukraine conflict?
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is comprised of 30 North American and European countries. NATO’s mission is to “guarantee the freedom and security of its members through political and military means.”
In response to the outbreak of the Cold War, the alliance was formed in 1949. Its original purpose was to protect the West from the Soviet Union’s threat. Many former Soviet nations have joined NATO since the Cold War’s end.
What exactly is a no-fly zone?
A no-fly zone is an area where certain aircraft are not permitted to fly for a variety of reasons. In the context of a conflict such as the one in Ukraine, it would most likely imply a no-fly zone to prevent Russian planes from carrying out airstrikes against Ukraine.
NATO has previously imposed no-fly zones in non-member countries such as Bosnia and Libya. However, it is always a contentious move because it implies becoming partially involved in a conflict without fully committing ground forces.
What would happen if NATO declared a no-fly zone over the region?
The issue with military no-fly zones is that they must be enforced with military force. If a Russian plane flew into a NATO no-fly zone, NATO forces would be forced to take action against it. These precautions could include shooting the plane out of the sky. In Russia’s opinion, this would be an act of war by NATO, likely escalating the conflict, according to a report by CNN.
Why has NATO not declared a no-fly zone?
Neither Ukraine nor Russia are NATO members. Putin clearly sees NATO as a direct threat to his authority and has recently criticised its expansion toward Russia as justification for his invasion of Ukraine.
As a result, NATO is extremely hesitant to intervene directly in the Ukraine conflict with a rival nuclear power. While the alliance supports Ukraine’s resistance and recognises Putin’s actions as an invasion of a sovereign nation, it is simply not prepared to do anything that could be interpreted as a direct act of war on Russia, risking an escalation that could lead to the use of nuclear weapons, the report states.
What Does NATO Say?
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg had said the alliance would not intervene in the conflict over fears of a direct clash with Moscow that could spiral into a wider conflict. “The only way to implement a no-fly zone is to send NATO fighter planes into Ukraine’s airspace, and then impose that no-fly zone by shooting down Russian planes,” Stoltenberg said after the urgent meeting.
“If we did that, we’ll end up with something that could end in a full-fledged war in Europe, involving many more countries and causing much more human suffering.”
…But Zelensky Is Not Convinced
But Zelensky insisted that the NATO gathering was a “weak summit, a confused summit”. “All the people who die starting today will also die because of you. Because of your weakness, because of your disconnection,” he said.
“Today the leadership of the alliance gave the green light for further bombing of Ukrainian cities and villages, refusing to make a no-fly zone.”
With inputs from AFP, CNN
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