Mar 5, 2022 - World

Putin: No-fly zone would be seen as "participation in the armed conflict"

Erin Doherty

People cross a destroyed bridge as they evacuate the city of Irpin, northwest of Kyiv, during heavy shelling and bombing on March 5, 2022, — People cross a destroyed bridge as they evacuate the city of Irpin, northwest of Kyiv, during heavy shelling and bombing on Saturday. Photo: Aris Messinis/AFP via Getty Images

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that Moscow will consider a declaration of Ukraine as a no-fly zone by any third-party as "participation in the armed conflict."

Driving the news: Russia would view "any move in this direction" as an intervention that "will pose a threat to our service members," Putin said Saturday, speaking at a meeting with female pilots, AP reports.

"That very second, we will view them as participants of the military conflict, and it would not matter what members they are," Putin said.

The big picture: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Western leaders to impose a "no-fly zone" over Ukraine, but the U.S. and other major powers have ruled out doing so as it could trigger a widespread war with nuclear power Russia.

"It would require, essentially, the U.S. military shooting down Russian planes and causing ... a potential direct war with Russia — something we want to avoid," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Thursday in ruling out creating a NFZ.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also said it would not enforce a NFZ.
"We understand the desperation but we also believe that if we did that (impose a no-fly zone) we would end up with something that could lead to a full-fledged war in Europe involving [many] more countries and much more suffering," Stoltenberg said.

Go deeper: Why Ukraine wants a no-fly zone — but is unlikely to get one

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Putin: No-fly zone would be seen as "participation in the armed conflict"

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