Pentagon: No-fly zone over Ukraine raises potential conflict between US and Russia
(Baonghean.vn) - Establishing a no-fly zone over Ukraine could lead to a military conflict between the US and Russia. This was explained by Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin in an interview with NBC.
“President Joe Biden has made it clear that the US military will not fight Russia in Ukraine. Maintaining a no-fly zone would inevitably lead to clashes with Russian aircraft. That would be a threat of war for us,” the minister said. Lloyd also stressed the need to avoid the use of nuclear weapons by any means.
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| US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. Photo: AP |
Earlier the same day, the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andrei Yermak confirmed that closing Ukrainian airspace could lead to an escalation of tensions and the possibility of direct confrontation between Russia and NATO.
On March 1, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said in a phone call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that it was necessary to close Ukraine's skies after explaining that this would allow the Ukrainian army to confront Russian armed forces on the ground.
On the same day, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson noted that NATO cannot enforce the establishment of a no-fly zone for Ukraine because it would lead to a direct confrontation with Moscow and cause consequences that could spiral out of control. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also expressed a similar view. According to him, the military bloc's member countries have no intention of establishing a no-fly zone over Ukrainian territory. US President Joe Biden also holds this view./.
