JAKARTA - NATO has indeed criticized and strongly condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But expecting NATO troops to engage in direct conflict with Russia is also unlikely.
This dualistic attitude has been criticized by President Volodymyr Zelensky. Moreover, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said all allies agreed not to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine.
For Zelensky, NATO has given Russia the green light to carry out further bombing of Ukraine.
"All those who died from today will also die because of you, because of your weakness, because of your lack of unity," the Ukrainian president said in an emotional evening address quoted by NBC News, Saturday 5 March.
Zelensky does not believe in the narrative echoed by NATO which says the no-fly zone will provoke Russian aggression against NATO. In a scathing manner, even Zelensky said NATO lacked confidence despite having weapons many times more powerful than Ukraine.
Zelensky praised Ukraine for their resistance to the Russian invasion: “We are warriors of light,” he said. "European history will remember this forever."
Ukraine has also asked Russia to create humanitarian corridors that allow children, women and the elderly to escape the fighting. Because more than 840 children have been injured in the war.
Previously, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg had said that if all allies agreed, imposing a no-fly zone would be tantamount to triggering a deeper conflict with Russia.
"If we do that, we will end up with something that could end in a full-fledged war in Europe, involving more countries and causing more human suffering," Stoltenberg said.
Stoltenberg said all the allies had agreed to strengthen deterrence and defense on land, in the air and at sea. Allies from North America and Europe have sent thousands more troops to the east of the Alliance.
"We will continue to do what is necessary to protect and defend every inch of NATO territory," he said.
"NATO is a defensive Alliance. Our core task is to keep our thirty countries safe,"
"We are not part of this conflict,"
"NATO is not seeking war with Russia,"
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