British Deputy Prime Minister once more rejects calls for NATO to impose a ban Flying over UkraineThis decision risks widening the area of war by putting the alliance in direct conflict with Russian forces, he said.
Dominic Raab said in an interview with local media on Tuesday that Britain would instead resort to putting pressure – in partnership with other countries – on Russian President Vladimir Putin to change his course, by tightening sanctions and investigating war crimes during the conflict.
“We are not going to impose a (no-fly zone) because that would put us in a situation where, when we do, we will have to shoot down Russian planes,” Raab said.
His comments came following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked NATO to impose a full no-fly zone on Russian planes, helicopters and missiles.
The British Ministry of Defense said on Tuesday that Russia had failed to control Ukrainian airspace, forcing it to switch to night operations to cut its losses.
The ministry said Russian forces had “made little progress” in their campaign towards the capital, Kyiv, over the past 24 hours, likely due to logistical difficulties.
During a visit to Poland on Tuesday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed that the West will continue to pressure the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin indefinitely.
“Vladimir Putin underestimated the unity and determination of the West and the rest of the world,” he told reporters. He added, “We will continue the economic pressure. It clearly affects a very large scale. We are ready to intensify it and continue it as long as the need arises.”
