Despite the poor situation on the ground, NATO is unwilling to engage directly in the conflict – including establishing a no-fly zone – beyond supporting Ukraine’s resistance to an invasion that is killing innocent civilians. Is.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday that a no-fly zone over Ukraine is not an option being considered by the coalition. “We have agreed that we should not have NATO aircraft in Ukrainian airspace or NATO troops in Ukrainian territory,” he said.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is a grouping of 30 North American and European countries. According to NATO, it aims to “guarantee the freedom and security of its members through political and military means.”
The coalition was created in 1949 in response to the start of the Cold War. Its original purpose was to protect the West from the threat posed by the Soviet Union. Since the end of the Cold War, many former Soviet nations have joined NATO, which has angered Putin.
What does it mean to be a member of NATO?
Being part of NATO means taking an active part in daily discussions on security and defense matters affecting the alliance. This can range from strategic measures to combat cyber warfare to moving troops within NATO borders to protect other members, as has happened during this crisis.
Members must spend 2% of the national GDP on defense each year, although some members have done so in recent years.
The most famous aspect of the alliance is Article 5 of the treaty, which, if invoked, means “an attack against one ally is considered an attack against all allies.”
Article 5 has only been invoked once, in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.
What is a No Fly Zone?
A no-fly zone is an area where some aircraft cannot take off for some reason. In the context of a conflict such as Ukraine, this would probably mean an area in which Russian planes were not allowed to fly, To prevent them from carrying out air strikes against Ukraine.
NATO has already implemented no-fly zones in non-member countries, including Bosnia and Libya. However, this is always a controversial move as it means semi-involved in the conflict without fully committing the ground forces.
What if NATO implemented a no fly zone?
The problem with military no-fly zones is that they have to be enforced by military power. If a Russian aircraft takes off in a NATO no-fly zone, NATO forces will have to take action against that aircraft. Those measures could include shooting the plane out of the sky. This, in Russia’s view, would be an act of war by NATO and possibly escalate the conflict.
Why didn’t NATO impose a no fly zone?
Neither Ukraine nor Russia is a member of NATO. Putin clearly sees NATO as a direct threat to his authority and has recently criticized its expansion towards Russia, using it as a justification for his invasion of Ukraine.
As a result, NATO is extremely reluctant to engage directly in a Ukraine conflict with a rival nuclear power. While it supports Ukraine’s resistance and recognizes Putin’s actions as an invasion of a sovereign nation, the coalition is simply unwilling to do anything that could be interpreted as a direct act of war on Russia. and there may be an increased risk of the use of nuclear weapons.
Why is Russia under threat from NATO?
Putin has long believed that Russia got a bad deal after the breakup of the Soviet Union – which he has called “the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century”.
They complain that NATO has, over time, expanded its borders by accepting Eastern European countries that were once part of the Soviet Union – meaning that Russia now shares a land border with the world’s largest military alliance. , thus reducing its geopolitical power. Once the sphere of influence of Moscow.
As recently as February, he was demanding that NATO return to its 1997 borders, before the Baltic nations of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, two of which border Russia, joined the alliance.