At Just Security, Professor Mark Nevitt discusses the historical, legal, and implementation factors involved in establishing a No-Fly Zone over Ukrainian airspace.
Nevitt explains, “While I sympathize with the no-fly zone’s animating idea—to protect human lives—a NATO no-fly zone simply presents an unacceptable, escalatory risk to the United States and its allies – indeed, perhaps to the whole planet. It opens a Pandora’s box of anticipated and unintended consequences. Even if the no-fly zone is narrowly tailored with the express purpose of protecting humanitarian corridors—as signatories to a recent open letter suggested—it would fundamentally turn on U.S. and NATO military engagement with Russia, a nuclear power with an enormous nuclear arsenal. Its leaders have already hinted at potentially using them in exactly this context.”