'No one needs a Russia-US conflict': Pentagon says no to no-fly zone over Ukraine
India Today
Reiterating that the US would not engage in hostilities in Ukraine or set up a no-fly zone over its territory, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said on Saturday, "No one needs a conflict between Russia and the US."
The US reiterated on Saturday that it will not establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine, despite President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's repeated requests for the same.
The United States will neither engage in hostilities in Ukraine nor establish a no-fly zone over the country, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said.
“The President’s [Joe Biden] been very clear about the fact that we won’t have troops engaged in combat with Russia and Ukraine in order to affect or put into place a no-fly zone. We’d have to control the skies and that would mean that we’d have to engage Russian aircraft," he said.
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He added that this would mean the US is in combat with Russia. "And these are two nuclear-powered countries. Nobody wants to see that. Nobody needs a conflict between the US and Russia. It’s not good for the region. It’s not good for the world,” Lloyd Austin said.
A no-fly zone is an area established by military powers over which certain aircraft are not allowed to fly.
During conflicts or wars, no-fly zones are imposed to prevent enemies from attacking the country being protected in the zone.