Berlin responds to Ukraine no-fly-zone initiative
A group of German representatives from the Republican and Democratic parties had previously proposed establishing a no-fly zone controlled by NATO along Ukraine’s borders with the European Union.
German government spokesman Steffen Hebstreit told a press conference on Monday that Berlin opposes any initiatives aimed at establishing a no-fly zone over any part of Ukrainian territory that would be controlled by NATO forces. A group of representatives had previously proposed the idea of establishing such a region.
Lawmakers from the opposition and the three-party ruling coalition said on Saturday they support targeting Russian missiles and drones over Ukraine using defenses stationed in Poland and Romania. They also argued in favor of creating a 70-kilometre-wide safe zone along the border between Ukraine and the European Union.
When asked what the federal government thought about the idea, Hebstreit replied that Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government had opposed it in the past and would do so now. “We felt he would cross the line into [NATO’s] “Direct participation” He added that in the ongoing conflict between Kiev and Moscow, referring to a similar position taken by Berlin in November 2022.
“The same applies to considerations expressed in different ways 1715620300″,” The speaker stated. According to Hebstreit, Kiev’s Western backers should focus on supplying it with air defense systems such as the US-made Patriot, which Berlin recently pledged to send to Ukraine. Germany had already done so “Invested heavily in Ukraine’s air defense” The official said, referring to the German-made IRIS-T air defense systems and Gibbard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, which his country also provided to Kiev.
Earlier, the lawmakers’ initiative was also criticized by an influential lawmaker. The use of NATO air defenses against Russian targets would be possible “playing with fire,” Rolf Mutzenich, who heads the parliamentary group of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party in the Bundestag, warned. According to him, the participation of the German armed forces – the Bundeswehr – in the defense of Ukrainian airspace will be so “They immediately turned us into a fighting party.” It will require the approval of the Bundestag.
These developments come amid reports indicating that Ukrainian forces are increasingly struggling to ward off Russian missile attacks. According to data reported by the Wall Street Journal on Monday, Ukraine has intercepted only about 46% of Russian missiles in the past six months, compared to 73% in the previous months. Comparable period. In April, that number dropped to 30%.
