Russia and Ukraine: what is a no-fly zone and why the West does not activate it to defend Ukraine

Despite the pressure of Ukraine for NATO to impose a no-fly zone to help this country resist the invasion of RussiaWestern allies have repeatedly dismissed the idea.

President Volodymyr Zelensky told the Axios news site on Monday that Ukraine “can defeat the aggressor” if the United States and its Western allies “do their part.”

“The sanctions are going in the right direction. In addition to disconnecting the Russian Central Bank from SWIFT and providing more (aircraft) stringers and anti-tank weapons, we need the West to impose a no-fly zone over significant parts of Ukraine,” Zelensky said.

“Ukraine can defeat the aggressor. We are showing it to the world. But our allies must also do their part.”

Both the US, the UK and NATO, however, They have rejected the request.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday that imposing an exclusion zone was “not on the agenda of any NATO country.”

And officials in the United States have also reiterated in recent days that President Joe Biden has no interest in supporting such an exclusion zone.

But why, despite Russian attacks on residential areas in Ukraine and the growing number of civilian deaths, does the West refuse to implement a no-fly zone?

What are no-fly zones?

A no-fly zone refers to any region of airspace where it has been established that certain aircraft cannot fly.

It can be used to protect sensitive areas, such as royal residences, or can be temporarily set up during sporting events and large gatherings.

In a military context, a no-fly zone is designed to prevent aircraft from entering prohibited airspace, usually to prevent attack or surveillance.

And its implementation has to be enforced by military means.

That can include surveillance, preemptive strikes against defensive systems, or shooting down aircraft entering the restricted area.

A no-fly zone over Ukraine would mean that military forces, specifically NATO forces, they would directly engage any Russian aircraft seen in those skies and they would shoot them if necessary.

Why doesn’t the West establish a no-fly zone in Ukraine?

If NATO forces become involved with Russian aircraft or equipment, there is a risk of a rapid escalation of the conflict.

“You don’t just say ‘that’s a no-fly zone.’ You have to enforce a no-fly zone,” former US Air Force General Philip Breedlove told Foreign Policy magazine.

The general, who served as NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander from 2013 to 2016, noted that while he supports calls for a no-fly zone in Ukraine, it is a very serious decision.

“It’s equivalent to going to war. If we’re going to declare a no-fly zone, we have to eliminate the enemy’s ability to shoot and affect our no-fly zone.”

British MP Tobias Ellwood, who chairs the Defense Committee, has backed the idea of ​​a partial or full no-fly zone and has called for NATO to intervene over civilian deaths and alleged war crimes.

But NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg ruled out the organization’s involvement, telling US network NBC on Monday: “We have no intention of entering Ukraine, neither by land nor by air.”

UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace made it clear that the UK would not help impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine because fighting Russian planes would provoke “a war throughout Europe”.

Speaking to the BBC on Wednesday, Wallace said: “I will not trigger a European war, but what I will do is help Ukraine fight in every street with every piece of equipment we can get, and we will support them.”

And the US has also ruled it out, for similar reasons.

The additional risk of any escalation in a conflict with Russia it is the specter of nuclear weapons.

That fear became apparent after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement that he had placed Russia’s nuclear forces on “special” alert.

His action has been interpreted by many primarily as a way to draw public attention and dissuade other countries from participating in the war, rather than to indicate an actual intention to use such weapons.

But even the slightest hint of a world war that could escalate into a nuclear war means that, despite the horrific scenes of civilians under attack, the likelihood of a no-fly zone in Ukraine is slim to none.

Have no-fly zones been used before?

After the first Gulf War in 1991, the US and coalition allies established two no-fly zones in Iraq to prevent attacks on some ethnic and religious groups.

This was done without the backing of the United Nations.

In 1992, during the Balkan conflict, The UN passed a resolution banning military flights. unauthorized in Bosnian airspace.

The UN Security Council also approved a no-fly zone as part of the 2011 military intervention in Libya.

The areas of Bosnia and Libya were reinforced by NATO forces.