The terror of the West called the no-fly zone: what would its introduction mean in practice and why are NATO member states so afraid of it?
To introduce or not to introduce? That is really what is most at stake at the moment. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly called on the United States and other members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation to establish a so-called no-fly zone over his country. However, the West vehemently rejects such a move and is trying to avoid its approval at all costs. What is the reason why the no-fly zone is such a bogeyman and what exactly is the alleged danger?
The explanation is quite simple. And, unfortunately, a rather chilling one. A no-fly zone refers to that part of the airspace that is closed to aircraft. There could be several reasons for its establishment. A no-fly zone is often introduced temporarily - for example, at the site of a major sporting event. It is then permanently established in the vicinity of various historically significant sites (for example, temples or palaces).
However, in the specific case under discussion, i.e. during a military conflict, the purpose of a no-fly zone is to prevent aircraft from entering the territory in question, which may be spying and gathering sensitive information, carrying weapons and soldiers, but also attacking. Thus, if a no-fly zone were imposed over Ukraine, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation could force Russian aircraft to land. In addition, however, NATO would even gain the authority to shoot down Russian planes outright.
If such a thing were to actually happen, Russian President Vladimir Putin would see it as an open attack. And that would then have inevitable consequences. The conflict with Russia would take on a truly global dimension and would inexorably affect other countries as well. The Czech Republic, of course, would also be in immediate danger.
The fact that the establishment of a no-fly zone over Ukraine would essentially unleash a third world war was confirmed by the former Commander-in-Chief of NATO forces in Europe, Philip Breedlove: "The reality is that the introduction of a no-fly zone is an act of war. It is not just some formal statement like: Here is a no-fly zone. That's not enough. Once you declare a no-fly zone, you also have to be able to enforce it, which means you have to be willing to use force against those who violate it. So the West's restraint is quite clear - no one wants to be willingly responsible for a decision that would turn the whole world upside down and cost the lives of quite possibly millions of people.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to push for the declaration of a no-fly zone. His main argument is that this measure would help to protect both civilians and Ukrainian territory from further attacks by Russian aircraft. However, the current NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg refuses to back down and warns that the introduction of a no-fly zone would escalate the current conflict even further. The President of the European Council, Charles Michel , shares a similar view. And how does the Czech government approach the establishment of a no-fly zone over Ukraine?
Although Prime Minister Petr Fiala is advocating for as much aid to Ukraine as possible, he shares the same thinking as other statesmen, including US leaders, when it comes to a no-fly zone. Indeed, the Czech government has also expressed concern that the war could spill over the borders of Ukraine.
