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NATO Must Say No to Ukraine No-Fly Zone
The American Conservative ^ | October 4th, 2025 | Ted Galen Carpenter

Posted on 10/04/2025 4:06:30 PM PDT by Mariner

n the past few weeks, Russian drones and jet fighters have repeatedly penetrated the airspace of Poland, Estonia, and other NATO members. Western officials have reacted harshly to those episodes, shooting down intruding drones and, in the case of President Donald Trump, issuing threats to attack even manned Russian aircraft if such incidents continue.

NATO leaders and their supporters in the news media are responding to the rising tensions by reviving an idea from the earliest days of the Kremlin’s February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine: imposing a no-fly zone over that country. It is an especially provocative and dangerous scheme that carries a serious risk of triggering World War III.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky immediately called for NATO to establish a no-fly zone when Russia invaded in 2022. Even a majority of hardline figures in the West considered the move too dangerous, since it would lead to direct clashes between NATO and Russian aircraft. Support for the initiative was confined only to the most hawkish, reckless individuals and groups, such as then-Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), Liz Cheney’s male alter ego. Even scholars at the Atlantic Council came out against it.

Zelensky has never relented in his quest for a NATO-enforced no-fly zone, however. In June 2024, the president and his advisors pushed a more limited option of creating such a zone over just western Ukraine, relying on air defense systems in neighboring NATO countries to enforce it. Their logic was that using such weaponry to shoot Moscow’s planes out of the sky would be less dangerous than sending up NATO aircraft to intercept their Russian counterparts in Ukrainian airspace. After the surge in drone incursion incidents this September, Zelensky joined his Polish counterpart in again calling for NATO to install a no-fly zone over his country.

(Excerpt) Read more at theamericanconservative.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: nato; proxywar; ukraine; welfarewar; zeepershardesthit; zeepershasthesads; zeepersindespair

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It's not just that we have no real interests in Ukraine, it's that we have conflicting interests.

America First.

1 posted on 10/04/2025 4:06:30 PM PDT by Mariner
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To: Mariner

I don’t have a problem with Europe shooting down any aircraft inside their territory.

Just count US out.


2 posted on 10/04/2025 4:13:51 PM PDT by airborne (Thank you Rush for helping me find FreeRepublic! )
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To: Mariner
Screw NATO real good using a Right-Handed Rotation.

That'll remove the US from NATO and NATO from the US.

Then NATO can do as they please without the US, and we can Make America First Again!

3 posted on 10/04/2025 4:22:41 PM PDT by Navy Patriot (President Trump Decisively Won Popular & E.C., Celebrate Recivilization!)
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To: Mariner

NATO should actually join the Ukraine and take over Russia... Unlike Putin who wasn’t welcomed with open arms when he foolishly invaded the Ukraine, NATO and the Ukraine will likely be welcomed with open arms when they invade and take over Russia.


4 posted on 10/04/2025 4:36:23 PM PDT by jerod (Nazis were essentially Socialist in Hugo Boss uniforms... Get over it!)
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To: jerod

If you read and understand,
Ukraine created Russia.
It is a civil war between brothers.
Any thinking man knows better than
to get in the middle of a family fight.


5 posted on 10/04/2025 5:00:43 PM PDT by rellic (No such thing as a moderate Moslem or Democrat )
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To: Mariner

An effective no fly zone over Ukraine would include shooting down any and every drone or missile that is fired into it and quickly also include destroying launch ability where they originated from in Russia. These are serious things and we are living in serious times. It would either force an end to the war/invasion or escalate. It takes two to escalate and a desire to do so.


6 posted on 10/04/2025 5:24:23 PM PDT by desertsolitaire (hite sea. My grandfather shouted warning to anyone who would listen that the Titanic was going to st)
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To: Mariner

NATO has no jurisdiction over Ukraine. A good reason for us to withdraw from it though.


7 posted on 10/04/2025 5:27:05 PM PDT by McGruff
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To: jerod

“NATO should actually join the Ukraine and take over Russia.”

Others have tried and failed.


8 posted on 10/04/2025 5:28:25 PM PDT by McGruff
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To: Mariner

Provocative and dangerous?? Russia is bombing Hospitals and day care centers! And trying to destroy every building in Ukraine! How could it get any worse??

And now all you Americans and Russian Bots who don’t want NATO to help Ukraine and have the US to stay out of the the war want to try to control NATO from doing what they want to do. If you want to leave Ukraine alone, it would seem more reasonable for you to leave NATO alone! Or otherwise it is hypocrisy...


9 posted on 10/04/2025 5:29:59 PM PDT by POGO163
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To: Mariner

If Zelensky no longer has the support of the people of Ukraine, perhaps he should be made an offer to step aside for someone more pragmatic about ending the war. We should not be Sabre rattling nukes with the post Soviet Russians. We are more natural friends and allies against ISIS Al Quaeda, Chicoms etc.
Can Putin and Trump find the way to that again? The future is not written yet. Time to correct and move forward positively exists. Just as I would love to see Cuba rebuilt and enriched under capitalism like Vietnam, I would love to be a tourist to Siberia’s beauty and wilderness. We are here on Earth such a short time. Can we make better use of it than killing and maiming each other?


10 posted on 10/04/2025 5:31:49 PM PDT by desertsolitaire (hite sea. My grandfather shouted warning to anyone who would listen that the Titanic was going to st)
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To: POGO163

“And now all you Americans and Russian Bots who don’t want NATO to help Ukraine and have the US to stay out of the the war want to try to control NATO from doing what they want to do.”

They can do whatever they want.

But there is no good reason for us to back them up, and we should not.


11 posted on 10/04/2025 6:16:30 PM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: airborne

“ I don’t have a problem with Europe shooting down any aircraft inside their territory.
Just count US out.”

I disagree. I am for any US assets in Europe shooting down any Rooskie aircraft, especially drones, inside NATO territory.
Just don’t tell the Euros how we did it.


12 posted on 10/04/2025 7:39:28 PM PDT by VanShuyten ("...that all the donkeys were dead. I know nothing as to the fate of the less valuable animals.”)
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To: jerod

I remember hearing how Iraqis will welcome US troops with open arms once Saddam is removed. Happened for a very short while, then it changed. As will always be the case whenever a country is invaded. Never ends well, whether it is Somalia some decades back, or the current Russian experience in Ukraine now (they also thought they’d be welcomed with open arms …they got Javelins to their silly mugs instead).


13 posted on 10/04/2025 8:33:13 PM PDT by spetznaz (Nuclear-tipped Ballistic Missiles: The Ultimate Phallic Symbol)
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To: POGO163
Hey Pogo!






John Wayne Gacy "Pogo the Clown"


14 posted on 10/04/2025 9:41:56 PM PDT by Bikkuri (We are all Charlie now. I am Charlie!)
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To: POGO163

“And now all you Americans and Russian Bots who don’t want NATO to help Ukraine and have the US to stay out of the the war want to try to control NATO from doing what they want to do. If you want to leave Ukraine alone, it would seem more reasonable for you to leave NATO alone! Or otherwise it is hypocrisy...”

Right you are, warmongering chickenhawk. We have no business there and Ukraine isn’t worth the life of even one of our kids. Let NATO do it, not the USA.


15 posted on 10/04/2025 10:42:26 PM PDT by rxh4n1
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To: spetznaz

“I remember hearing how Iraqis will welcome US troops with open arms once Saddam is removed. Happened for a very short while, then it changed. As will always be the case whenever a country is invaded. Never ends well, whether it is Somalia some decades back, or the current Russian experience in Ukraine now (they also thought they’d be welcomed with open arms …they got Javelins to their silly mugs instead).”

Right. Every country we tried to rescue, they all ended hating us. Screw them all the nasty ingrates.


16 posted on 10/04/2025 10:46:46 PM PDT by rxh4n1
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To: airborne

A NATO no-fly zone in a non-NATO country?

While they are at it, they should make Russia a NATO no-fly zone, too!


17 posted on 10/05/2025 4:15:35 AM PDT by Tom Tetroxide (Psalm 146:3 "Do not trust in princes, in the Son of Man, who has no salvation.")
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To: Mariner
From the article: The Wall Street Journal now reports that the United States is willing to give Kiev crucial intelligence assistance for such long-range missile strikes.

That's not a bad idea since it is free. The problem with using up our missiles to shoot down anything Russia sends across is we will run out of missiles. We will also waste missiles and greatly risk looking powerless (e.g. Russia neutralizes our missiles in some unanticipated ways). Then rather than look powerless the usual warhawks will demand we escalate using offense.

The satellite data is only free until China decides to blow them up.

18 posted on 10/05/2025 4:53:18 AM PDT by palmer (Democracy Dies Six Ways from Sunday)
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To: VanShuyten
How do we cheaply shoot down drones?
19 posted on 10/05/2025 4:55:11 AM PDT by palmer (Democracy Dies Six Ways from Sunday)
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To: palmer

We have been feeding Ukraine intelligence for targeting since soon after day 1. The new order is targeting information further in Russia and a release from targeting restrictions


20 posted on 10/05/2025 5:01:39 AM PDT by bert ( (KE. NP. +12) Where is ZORRO when California so desperately needs him?)
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