“This is something history will not forget.”
Ukraine cannot demand the imposition of a no-fly-zone over its air space. It is not a member of NATO. By that, NATO ipso facto cannot impose a no-fly zone over a territory of a non-member. If a Russian aircraft is shot down over Ukraine, that would constitute an act of war that could change its dimension, this time NATO directly at war with Russia.
Of course, diplomats always have their ramifications to justify their action. If it was a Russian aircraft that was shot downed by a NATO, the alliance practically involved itself in a direct military action with Russia. Such would constitute blatant aggression because as a non-NATO member, the Western alliance has decided to cross Russia’s red line.
The world saw how NATO unilaterally applied the no-fly-zone over Libya. Interestingly, NATO’s action was in violation of international law, not having been approved by the UN Security Council. Some even considered NATO’s action as barbaric because it went beyond the enforcement of the no-fly-zone. It was applied even to grounded aircraft.
The rationale was to provide NATO an unimpeded bombing foray in Libya. The no-fly-zone was not only applied to intercept aircraft flying within Libya’s airspace, but was given a freehand to attack aircraft parked at the airports and hangars, bombed military installations, buildings governments, schools, hospitals and even mosques. Practically, NATO carried out a bombing spree to indiscriminately target anything of military value like bombing the residence of President Muammar Ghaddafi.
A no-fly-zone over Ukraine would undoubtedly constitute a direct intervention of the Western alliance into the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. First, the strategy would require the physical presence of NATO forces. Second, a no-fly zone would involve NATO’s participation like engaging the Russian ground forces in Ukraine. This could open the option for Russia to think of the unthinkable.
According to President Vladimir Putin, any country that would implement a no-fly-zone over Ukraine will be interpreted as an act of war much that it could limit Russia’s effort to carry out its objectives in Ukraine. Once the red line is crossed, there is nothing that would prevent Russia from defending itself.
If Russia takes this position, NATO and the EU would lose credibility to invite Ukraine to join NATO. The principle that an attack on a member would be viewed as an attack to all its members will no longer hold true. The alliance would by then be operating in defense of a non-member country.
Today the unabated supply of weapons to a non-member country may qualitatively increase Russian casualties, and that could redefine NATO’s proxy war with Russia.
Political analysts believe Russia’s strategy of engaging it in a proxy war is incomprehensible. The tipping point to US and NATO’s indirect interference in Ukraine will be determined once Russia experience an upscale increase in casualties or should NATO start sending mercenaries in defense of Ukraine that could prolong the conflict.
Last Monday, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Chinese Senior policy adviser Yang Jiechi met in Rome. The meeting was prompted by rumors that Russia is seeking military assistance from China which was branded by Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian as immoral and irresponsible. Some believe the accusation was intended to deflect the announcement by Russia’s ministry of defense that the US is running 26 bio-laboratories in Ukraine.
Instead taking the denying, the US took the offensive stand of accusing China of giving military assistance to Russia which is rather preposterous.
The bio-lab called by the US agitator in Ukraine as biol-research has nothing to do with its imaginary apprehension of China’s military assistance to Russia except for want of nothing to say.
The lie fabricated by the US is also meant to cover up what it has been doing in the previous wars it waged. In less than a week after the “special military operations” of Russia in Ukraine began, the stocks of the biggest US arms manufacturers like Raytheon, McDonnel Aircraft, Boeing, Lockheed-Martin, Grumman, etc. soared.
Nobody in his right mind would accept the supposition that Russia is seeking military assistance from China. Rather, NATO’s interference now partakes of a collateral entry to join the war without enlisting Ukraine as member. The limited war at could metamorphose to nuclear war with the US blaming Russia for the catastrophe without the world analyzing the antecedent facts that compelled it to invaded Ukraine.
Countries in the West feel no remorse because the US mass media has been manipulated to trumpet that they are fighting for freedom and democracy.
The defeat of the US in Afghanistan was a respite to the adventurism of the US military-industrial complex. Arms manufacturers continue to rake in through by the production of arms despite the fact that many of them are known to belong to the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion, a far-right nationalist group operating in Ukraine. This explains why Russia will never concede of allowing a neo-Nazi government to be resurrected in Ukraine. Remember Russia lost more than 24 million of its people in World War II, and that is something history could not easily forget.
US and NATO wants to focus the blame on Russia, and forget that they agitated Ukraine to take a hardline position of going to war with Russia, thereby making the issue of rehabilitating Ukraine’s economy its solely responsibility. Before that, the US carried out a policy of de-industrializing Ukraine thus pushing its GDP to the pre-Cold War level.
When Russia invaded Ukraine after ignoring its security concern, NATO and the US instead threatened by imposing harsh economic sanctions. This means NATO and the US are not prepared for war. They offered various subterfuge like mulling on the idea of allowing Ukraine to fly Poland’s aircraft to fight Russia. NATO objected to Poland’s offer of SU 27 jets fearing it would directly invite Russia to the conflict.
Despite NATO’s the massive drumbeating of impending invasion, Russia purposely delayed it to expose NATO’s next move: that NATO will not risk going to war with Russia or would take measure that would directly involve Russia. Zelensky was caught flat-footed unable to do what it wants except to see how the enormous Russian army is tearing to pieces his country with NATO standing and still ranting on what to do with Russia.
When Russia finally invaded Ukraine, nobody from NATO sent a single soldier to fight the neo-Nazi Azov battalion. Their expectations that Russia could be mired like what the Soviet army experienced in Afghanistan in the 70’s is an outmoded strategy. The people of Crimea overwhelmingly voted to return to Russia in a referendum in 2014. The people of Crimea are not interested in seeing the peninsula handed back to Ukraine only to be swallowed by another imperialist power with the intention of choking Russia’s only outlet to the Mediterranean.
Finally, Volodymyr Zelensky wants to have a face-to-face meeting with President Putin. Zelensky failed to understand that he is a product of the US created government. Putin describes Ukraine today as a vassal state operated by its Western masters. For Russia to deal with him is to elevate his status as an equal and legitimate president.