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U.S., UK resist calls for no-fly zone over Ukraine’s pleas

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Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary, holds a press conference in collaboration with Elizabeth Truss, British Foreign Secretary, in Washington, D.C., on March 9, 2022.

Reuters| Pool | Reuters

Even though the United States and United Kingdom vowed to oppose any type of Ukraine no-fly zones, they reaffirmed Wednesday their opposition. Kyiv’s pleas for more protection from Russia’s invasion.

“Our goal was to end war and not expand it,” U.S. Secretary-of-State Antony Blinken declared Wednesday in a joint press conference along with Elizabeth Truss from the U.K.

Ukraine’s Allies including the President Joe BidenNATO and its members have attempted to assist Kyiv while not putting foot on the ground.

They also refused to comply with President Volodymyr Zeleskyy’s increasingly insistent requests for a no flight zone. That would mean that Russian airliners were shot down over Ukraine.

This rule would be applied in an airspace that Russian aircraft are currently flying. It could dramatically increase the chance of NATO or the U.S. being drawn into combat with Russia. Experts fear this could lead to a war between nuclear-armed countries.

Blinken stated that they want to ensure it does not last for too long.

Blinken stated that any U.S. troop presence in Ukraine, no matter how limited, would “expand the conflict.” It would only prolong the conflict, make it more deadly than it is now, which would not be in our interests nor the best interest of Ukraine.

He noted, however, that if he were to be in the President Zelenskyy position, I am sure he would ask for all conceivable help for the Ukrainian people.”

Zelenskyy, himself, has repeated his call for allies in Ukraine to create a no-fly zone. There are reports that Russian forces have attacked civilians.

“Will the world remain silent about terror?” Now, close the skies! Stop the murders!” Zelenskyy tweeted Wednesday morning, accusing Russian troops for attacking a Mariupol hospital.

Ukraine also Wednesday accused Russia of violating a ceasefire in Mariupol, blocking civilians from evacuating the city.

Truss claimed that the hospital attack was “absolutely abhorrent and reckless” during the briefing. However, she maintained that anti-air weapons are the best method to protect skies and not a no fly zone.

Truss stated that “We are doing everything we can” to help Ukraine.

Blinken also poured cold water on a proposal from Poland to hand over its MiG-29 fighter jets to the U.S. — which could then transfer those jets to Ukraine — saying there was no clear “substantive rationale” for enacting that plan.

Blinken stated that Poland’s proposal showed that there were some complications when it came to security assistance.

He stated that the “prospectual of U.S. government fighter jets departing from U.S. databases for Germany to fly into airspace in conflict with Russia over Ukraine raises serious concerns for all of NATO,”

Putin’s incursion in Ukraine has provoked world leaders, international organizations, and private corporations, to put up unprecedented sanctions against Russia, its elite leaders, oligarchs, and Putin.

After the Biden administration, the Kremlin stated Wednesday that America is now “de facto wageing an economic warfare against Russia.” announced a ban on Russian oil imports.

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