NATO Rejects a No-Fly Zone

Sanity prevails for now

NATO has wisely rejected the Ukrainian request for a no-fly zone:

NATO allies rejected Ukraine's demand for no-fly zones on Friday, saying they were increasing support but that stepping in directly would lead to a broader, even more brutal European war so far limited to Russia's assault on its neighbour.

The alliance is right to reject this option. A NATO attack on Russian forces lead to a much larger war with the potential to turn into a nuclear exchange. It is understandable that the Ukrainian government wants all the help it can get, but no responsible allied government can agree to what they are asking. Zelensky’s chief of staff called for Western governments to impose a no-fly zone earlier this week, and he said that doing this would “give Putin pause.” There is no reason to believe that NATO attacks on Russian targets, including Russian air defenses inside Russia, would do anything except provoke Russian retaliation against NATO.