Estonia today became the first NATO member to formally callfor UN member states to “take immediate steps to establish a no-fly zone” over Ukraine to prevent further civilian casualties as the war rages on. But US lawmakers fear that this may spark the start of World War III.
“The Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) expresses its support to the defenders and the people of the state of Ukraine in their fight against the Russian Federation that has launched a criminal war, and calls on showing absolute support to Ukraine in its war for maintaining its freedom, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Estonia’s parliament said in a statement today.
“The Riigikogu calls on states to close their airspace and ports to the aircraft and ships of the Russian Federation,” the body stated, calling on “members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to vote for excluding the Russian Federation from the membership of the Council of Europe, and calls on the member states to adopt a relevant decision immediately.”
“The Riigikogu invites the member states to support Ukraine’s official application for the status of a EU candidate state and calls on granting Ukraine a roadmap to membership in NATO,” they wrote.
However, US President Joe Biden and NATO have ruled out a no-fly zone over Ukraine, saying that enforcing it would put the U.S. and NATO in direct confrontation with Russia and would expand the conflict.
