According to a recent Reuters poll in the United States, 74 percent of respondents support NATO’s decision to impose a “no-fly zone” on Ukraine. Amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, US citizens have expressed solidarity with Ukrainian citizens. This order is increasing.
The Ukrainian government has also been urging the US-led coalition to impose a “no-fly zone” on the country. The Ukrainian government says this is necessary to protect Ukrainian citizens from Russian bombing.
However, as the war has so far forced 2 million people to flee the country, the Biden administration has rejected a move to impose a “no-fly zone”. Instead, it warns that nuclear weapons could lead to direct conflict with Russia.
So what is this ‘no-fly zone’? What does it mean to implement it in Ukraine?
What is a ‘no-fly zone’?
Peter Harris, an associate professor of political science at Colorado State University, says the ‘no-fly zone’ is a designated geographical area where certain types of flights are prohibited.
“People have recently demanded that the use of military aircraft (especially Russian military aircraft) be banned in Ukraine. We call it the ‘No-Fly Zone’, “said Harris.
“The no-fly zone requires the destruction of Russian air defenses. For that, NATO could go to Ukraine and threaten to shoot down Russian aircraft in Ukrainian skies. This would be a very dramatic increase by NATO,” Harris said.
Who wants a ‘no-fly zone’?
The most vocal advocate for the “no-fly zone” is the Ukrainian government. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly called on NATO to ban Russian aircraft from flying over Ukraine. He says the move could protect civilians from the attack.
NATO has a treaty for the collective protection of all its members, but Ukraine is not a member of that alliance.
“Every day we repeat: close the sky of Ukraine. Stop all Russian missiles, military aircraft, their terrorists, “Jelensky said on Sunday.
Why talk about nuclear weapons?
Many officials and experts have argued that Russia is nuclear power in protest of NATO’s “no-fly zone” in Ukraine.
“Ukraine is already at risk of escalating tensions with NATO’s military assistance,” Harris said.
“If there is a heated conflict between Russia and NATO, nuclear weapons will eventually be on the table,” Harris said. And, leaders cannot confidently promise that they will not go ahead with the use of nuclear weapons, because events could take their own lives and not be under the control of those responsible. “
Where has the ‘no-fly zone’ been implemented in the past?
The United States and NATO have spearheaded efforts to establish a “no-fly zone” in three different conflicts over the past 30 years.
Iraq, 1992
After the first Gulf War broke out in 1992, the US-led coalition imposed a “no-fly zone” in southern and northern Iraq to protect rebel-held areas from airstrikes by then-President Saddam Hussein’s government. That mechanism lasted until the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Bosnia, 1993
Between 1993 and 1995, the NATO Air Force jointly imposed a “no-fly zone” in the newly established republics of Bosnia and Herzegovina, mainly to protect the country from Bosnian-Serb airstrikes. The United Nations Security Council passed a resolution in 1993 authorizing member states to take “all necessary measures” to protect Bosnia’s airspace.
Libya: NATO imposed a “no-fly zone” in Libya in 2011
amid a popular uprising against longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi and the passage of a UN Security Council resolution calling for a ban on flights to the country. NATO intervention soon turned into an active effort to help Libyan rebels oust Gaddafi. Gaddafi was captured and killed months later by armed opposition fighters.
Harris emphasized that Russia was a nuclear-armed country with a strong air force and air defenses. “It’s a different kind of ballgame,” he said.
Are there any other ‘no-fly zones’?
Some officials have called on the United States to impose a “no-fly zone” to protect civilians in certain areas of Ukraine.
Proponents of her case have been working to make the actual transcript of this statement available online. Proponents of her case have been working to make the actual transcript of this statement available online.
“I don’t think there is any real difference,” said Harris.
What has the Biden administration said?
Despite growing calls for a “no-fly zone” in Ukraine, US President Joe Biden and his top allies have rejected the move.
What did they say last week?
- White House spokeswoman Jane Sackie said, “We need to implement a ‘no-fly zone.’ This requires the US military to shoot down Russian planes and encourage possible direct war with Russia – this is exactly what we want to avoid. ”
- Foreign Minister Anthony Blinken told NBC News that “the president has a responsibility to prevent a direct conflict with a nuclear-armed Russia, to prevent a direct war, and to prevent the risk of war spreading beyond Europe.”
- Linda Greenfield, the US ambassador to the United Nations, told ABC News: “President Biden is very clear that US troops will not be deployed on the ground or in the air to escalate this war and wage war against Russia.
What has NATO said?
NATO has also echoed the US administration’s remarks. Ukraine has rejected the demand, saying the imposition of a “no-fly zone” would lead the alliance to a confrontation with Russia.
“We are not part of this conflict,” Stoltenberg, NATO’s secretary-general, said after a meeting of the Transatlantic bloc last week.
What has Russia said?
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned Western nations not to consider a “no-fly zone” over Ukraine. He said that by doing so, he could participate in the war.
Putin said on Saturday that “any move in this direction would be considered a sign that the country is involved in an armed conflict.”
What are US lawmakers saying?
With few exceptions, US lawmakers appear to be unanimous in calling for a “no-fly zone” in Ukraine. Many pro-peace lawmakers, including Hockey Republican Senator Marco Rubio and Democratic Senator Chris Murphy, have spoken out against the proposal.
“It’s a bad idea. Congress will never pass it, ”Murphy wrote on Twitter last week. But there should be no direct war between the world’s two nuclear powers. “
“The ‘no-fly zone’ is on the lips of many. Many people don’t understand what it means,” says Rubio. “It’s not a rule that everyone should follow once you pass it. This is the beginning of World War II, “Rubio told ABC News on Sunday.
Some legislators have backed it. In a video message over the weekend, Republican lawmaker Adam Kinsinger called for a “no-fly zone” in Ukraine, saying the United States should not be distracted by Putin’s threats.
“I believe that Putin’s fear of failing to do so will make him stronger. Now is the time to stop him and his vandalism, ”he said.
