A no-fly zone over Ukraine would mean NATO's direct involvement in the ongoing war in Ukraine, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė has said.
“I would like to pay attention to the fact that many believe that a no-fly zone is something you can announce, and that’s it,” Šimonytė told a press conference on Thursday.
“But somebody would also need to ensure it. Looking at who could realistically do that, it would mean that NATO countries would be directly involved in this conflict. It seems to me that it’s something that is kept silent and not stated publicly,” she added.
In her words, the more important task for the West and the international community is to urgently ensure a humanitarian corridor out of Ukraine’s territories occupied by Russia.
On Wednesday, Ukrainian Ambassador to Lithuania Petro Beshta said that a no-fly zone over Ukraine “is the top priority now” as it could help prevent Russia’s shelling of civilian objects. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also appealed to NATO to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine.
Read more: Ukraine needs no-fly zone over its territory, says Ukrainian ambassador
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