Following Estonia, Parliament of NATO Member Lithuania Calls for No-Fly Zone Over Ukraine

Enforcing a no-fly zone means shooting down Russian planes and bombing Russian air defenses

On Thursday, Lithuania’s parliament unanimously passed a resolution urging for a no-fly zone over Ukraine, joining its fellow Baltic state Estonia in calling for the action, which would require shooting down Russian planes and bombing anti-aircraft missiles inside Russia.

The Lithuanian resolution “urges the United Nations to take immediate action to secure a no-fly zone over Ukraine to stop mass civilian deaths.”

The resolution makes Lithuania the third NATO member to have a body or official endorse the idea of a no-fly zone. Estonia’s parliament passed a similar resolution earlier this week, and, according to The Associated Press, Slovenia’s prime minister has also publicly called for a no-fly zone.

So far, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has maintained that NATO forces will not go into Ukraine to engage Russia directly. President Biden has also pledged not to send troops to fight Russia, warning it would mean the start of World War III, which could quickly turn nuclear.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki reiterated on Wednesday that the US doesn’t want to enforce a no-fly zone. “As we’ve said before, a no-fly zone would require implementation, it would require us potentially shooting down Russian planes, NATO shooting down Russian planes. And we are not interested in getting into World War III,” she said.

Despite the risk of nuclear war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is still pleading with the West to “close the sky” over Ukraine. In an address to Congress on Wednesday, Zelensky cited 9/11 and Pear Harbor and quoted Martin Luther King Jr. in his plea for a no-fly zone and more weapons. Later in the day, President Biden announced an additional $800 million in military aid for Ukraine, including anti-aircraft missiles, anti-tank missiles, and armed drones.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.