Ukraine warns NATO of Russian missile strikes unless no-fly zone is imposed

Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that it is just a matter of time before Russia’s attack on Ukraine extends to NATO countries unless a no-fly zone is imposed. 

In a video address on his Facebook page, Zelensky said “Last year, I made a clear warning to NATO leaders that if there were no tough preventive sanctions against Russia, it would start a war”, and added, “We were right … now I repeat again — if you do not close our sky, it is only a matter of time before Russian missiles fall on your territory. NATO territory. On the homes of citizens of NATO countries”. 

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His message comes after a Russian airstrike hit a military training base on the border of Poland, which is a NATO country. All members of the military organization have been careful not to directly engage Russian troops as they carry out President Vladimir Putin’s directive to “denazify” and “demilitarize” Ukraine. However, NATO members like the US have asserted time and again that it’ll protect the territorial boundaries of NATO members, which means that a Russian attack there could escalate the situation. 

Zelensky also raised the issue of Brent Renaud’s death, the American journalist killed in Irpin, Ukraine, on Sunday. He said, “An American journalist was killed in the Kyiv region today. Brent Renaud. His colleague was wounded. It was a deliberate attack by the Russian military. They knew what they were doing. But not everyone in the West seems to know what they are doing”. 

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Meanwhile, Zelensky has also assured of ongoing diplomatic negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, so the presidents of the two nations can have a meeting. To that end, he said, “Representatives of our countries’ delegations speak in video format every day. Our delegation has a clear task — to do everything to ensure a meeting of the presidents, the meeting that I am sure people are waiting for”.