US “is not prepared for” ban-fly zone” in Ukraine

US State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Friday that despite calls from Kiev, Washington is not prepared to support the no-fly zone over Ukraine, as the conflict would escalate with Russia “to a completely different level”.

Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelensky has called for a no-fly zone several times since Moscow began its unprotested invasion on February 24th, and has repeated this call on March 4th, after Russia attacked the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, located in southern Ukraine.

But Price has said in an interview for Brussels' Radio Free Europe that, although the West is doing what it can to protect Ukraine “The deployment of NATO forces into potential contact or conflict with Russia would bring conflict to a completely different level”.

This is not something that the US” prepared for, he said.

Chief NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, has said coalition member states have agreed that no plane should fly over Ukraine's airspace and that their troops should not be present in Ukraine during the Russian attack on this state, despite Kiev's calls to implement the move of the flight.

Speaking from Brussels on March 4th, after meeting with the foreign ministers of NATO member states, Stolemberg has again appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop the unprotested fight against Ukraine, “immediately and unconditionally”.

Stoltenberg has acknowledged that Russia is likely to increase attacks in Ukraine, and that the following days “could be worse”.

Price has said that the United States and the allies will continue to increase sanctions against Moscow for its aggressive actions, warning that “if Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to escalate the situation, we will scale our response”.

He has said the West should keep the diplomatic road open, though diplomacy “appears to not triumph in these conditions when Russia continues to launch missiles and when its forces advance”.

Moscow's attack on Ukraine has started in the early hours of February 24th.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered <x0 special operation” to demilitarise Ukraine.

The Kremlin's action has stirred anger and has been condemned worldwide.

The United States and its allies have responded with severe sanctions against Moscow.

To be informed about the latest developments regarding Ukraine, follow our blog.