Washington DC March 3 2022: Nato is not considering a no-fly zone to counter Russian aggression in Ukraine, the US ambassador to the bloc has said.
Speaking to BBC News, Julianne Smith said: “We don’t believe that NATO needs to be part of this conflict.
“We are offering security assistance and will continue to offer it to Ukraine.”
Nato has faced calls to introduce a no-fly zone to stop Russia using its jets to support its forces on the ground, but many have raised concerns that the move would escalate the conflict.
Smith did reiterate that Nato was not willing to compromise on its policy of having an “open door” to prospective members in Europe.
“NATO’s enlargement policy will continue. Russia has no veto over that,” she said.
“We’re going to begin conversations about longer term posture changes in Eastern Europe. We will do the opposite of what Russia wants.”
She also criticised Russia’s decision to put its nuclear forces on high alert.
“We do not like Russia talking about any sort of nuclear escalation,” she said.
“The rhetoric is extremely dangerous and it increases the risk of miscalculation. We are calling for Russia to leave Ukraine and a ceasefire.”
