Fear of World War III is causing the Western Alliance to keep military planes out of Ukrainian airspace.
18.3. 17:43 • Updated March 18th. 17:47
Russia, which is at war with aggression, has imposed a no-fly zone in eastern Ukraine.
A representative of the so-called “People’s Republic of” Donetsk, controlled by Russia, announced on Friday that a no-fly zone had been established in the Donbass region. The news agency Reuters reported, citing information from the Russian news agency Interfax.
No-fly zone means an area in the airspace of which airplanes are not permitted to fly.
In Donbass, the ban hardly affects Russia, which dominates the region’s airspace.
Ukraine is strongly in favor of a nationwide no-fly zone. The demand to get NATO fighter jets to patrol Ukraine in the sky has now also received support from the Baltic countries.
Here are six questions and answers on the subject.
1. Why does Ukraine want a no-fly zone?
Russia’s attacks on civilian targets have been daily, and the besieged Mariupol has also been the target of air-fired missiles.
A petition for a flight ban to protect Ukraine can be heard from both a Ukrainian who is examining the ruins of his home and the President Volodymyr from Zelensky.
On Tuesday, Zelenskiy said the no-fly zone would defend not only Ukraine but also NATO members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization from Russian airstrikes.
While there are strong human justifications for hopes to calm Ukraine’s skies, the United States and its NATO allies will have to reject the idea of a no-fly zone.
2. Why is NATO forced to refuse?
There are fears that NATO fighters patrolling Ukrainian airspace would clash with Russian planes.
This would extend the war between NATO and Russia, which could be a step towards World War III.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin has declared that Russia would consider the imposition of a no – fly zone as part of those countries’ involvement in an armed conflict.
Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg warned, according to The Guardian, that the establishment of a no-fly zone could lead to widespread war in Europe, causing more human suffering.
“That’s why we have to make this painful decision,” Stoltenberg said.
3. Would even a narrow ban help?
A narrower no-fly zone could also bring NATO and Russia together.
The creation of a narrower no-fly zone has been announced as an exit from the impasse.
Since then, however, Russian missile strikes have extended the war to western Ukraine.
The no-fly zone would also not have helped in last week’s attack on a Western Ukrainian military base, a U.S. Department of Defense spokesman pointed out in The Guardian.
Russia fired cruise missiles from military planes flying in Russian airspace, not Ukraine.
4. Would a flight ban harm Ukraine?
The Ukrainian army could not use its powerful drone weapons against Russian armor.
5. Has the no-fly zone helped in the past?
In previous conflicts, bombings against civilians have been prevented or curbed through no-fly zones.
Surveillance of a large no-fly zone requires close patrols and other surveillance. Despite its high cost, the tool has been used in the wars of recent decades.
Never before, however, has the other party been a nuclear power like Russia.
In Iraq, Western Allies protected the country’s Kurdish and Shia minorities through a no-fly zone. In the latter years of the Bosnian war, NATO planes patrolled UN planes.
Most recently, in 2011, the UN approved a NATO no-fly zone to curb Libya’s civil war.
6. Who supports the no-fly zone in Ukraine?
The Baltic countries have given their support to Ukraine’s wish.
All three countries belong to NATO.
They call on the UN to take steps to establish a no-fly zone.
However, Russia is able to block a UN mandate to launch a no-fly zone or other measures to protect Ukraine because it is a permanent member of the Security Council.
You can discuss the topic until Saturday, March 19 at 11 p.m.