Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed on Saturday that Russia would consider an ally any country attempting to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine, a claim by Kyiv that NATO has already rejected.
“We will consider any development of events in this direction as participation in an armed conflict of any country on whose territory a threat will be created against our soldiers,” he said about a possible “free-flying belt over the territory of Ukraine.”
On Friday, NATO had already ruled out any intervention on the ground or in the air in Ukraine. The members of the alliance rejected Kyiv’s request for a no-fly zone on Ukrainian territory to avoid being drawn into the conflict.
“The only way to create a no-fly zone is to send NATO fighters into Ukrainian airspace and then shoot down Russian aircraft to enforce it,” he said, explained Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
“We are responsible for preventing the escalation of this war beyond the borders of Ukraine. Because that would be even more dangerous, even more destructive, and cause even more human suffering. NATO is a defensive alliance. We do not want to be part of the conflict in Ukraine,” he said. And add: “The coming days will be even worse, there will be more deaths, more destruction, because Russia will use heavier weapons. »