Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskiy is calling for no-fly zones to stop Russian bombardment

Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskiy is calling for no-fly zones to stop Russian bombardment. 

Kyiv: President Volodymyr Zelenskiy asked the West to look into the possibility of a no-fly zone to Russian aircraft flying over Ukraine on Monday following Moscow attacked the country’s second-largest city, triggering new sanctions from The United States and its allies.

Russia is facing increasing isolation due to its incursion into Ukraine. The hours of talks between parties on Monday did not conclude to end the conflict.

Ukrainian officials claimed that Russian strikes in Kharkiv had killed civilians, including children, in 1.4 million inhabitants. 

In a video, Zelenskiy declared it was time to ban Russian missiles and helicopters, planes and aircraft from Ukraine’s airspace.

“Fair discussions can be achieved if the other side isn’t able to strike the other with rocket artillery in the time of talks,” Zelenskiy said. 

However, he did not elaborate on how and who would enforce a no-fly zone could be implemented.

The United States has ruled out the possibility of sending troops to fight Russia, and officials have expressed concerns about the possibility of escalating tensions between two of the world’s most powerful nuclear powerhouses.

“A no-fly zone requires the implementation of a no-fly zone,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters.

A similar move will need “deploying U.S. military to ensure compliance, which could be… possibly a direct conflict and possibly an outright war with Russia that we do not intend to take part in.”

In their condemnation of Russia’s actions in Ukraine, Western nations have slapped Russia by imposing sanctions on the country, including President Vladimir Putin and his confidants.

However, Putin hasn’t shown any signs of considering rethinking the attack that he launched on his neighbor on Thursday to alter the map of Europe’s security and draw Ukraine in its orbit.

The Russian leader put Russia’s nuclear forces under high alert on Sunday. However, an experienced U.S. defense official said Washington did not indicate “muscle movement” in the wake of Putin’s announcement.

On Monday, in the White House, if Americans need to be concerned regarding nuclear warfare, U.S. President Joe Biden declared: “No.”

In a sign of uneasy relations in the region, in a sign of deteriorating relations, the United States expelled 12 Russian diplomats from the United Nations, citing national security issues. Russia called the decision “hostile.”

It appears that the Russian invasion – which is the most significant attack on a European nation ever since World War Two – has not made the significant initial gains Putin had hoped for. 

Russia calls its actions against Ukraine a “special operation” that does not intend to seize the territory but to degrade its southern neighbor’s military capabilities and capture what it views as dangerous nationalists.

Discussions between both sides took place at the border between powerful Russian allies Belarus, a base for invading Russian troops.

Ukraine had stated it was looking to ensure an immediate cease-fire and withdrawal from Russian forces. However, the Kremlin did not comment on the goals of Ukraine.

The meeting concluded with the participants returning to their capitals for more discussions ahead of a new round of talks, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said to reporters.