The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has said it does not seek war with Russia after President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said it remains committed to keeping channels for diplomacy and deconfliction open.
Stoltenberg stated this on Friday after an extraordinary meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs.
“We have a responsibility to ensure it does not escalate and spread beyond Ukraine. Because that would be even more devastating and more dangerous. With even more human suffering,” Stoltenberg said. “NATO is not seeking a war with Russia.”
He said the alliance remained committed to keeping deconfliction channels with Russia open.
“But we remain committed to keeping channels for diplomacy and deconfliction open. To avoid any unintended escalation, misunderstanding, or miscalculation,” he said.
Stoltenberg also mentioned that the security organisation had not considered declaring a no-fly zone over Ukraine.
“We’ve agreed that we should not have NATO planes operating over Ukrainian airspace or NATO troops on Ukrainian territory,” he said.
Stoltenberg’s address is coming after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for NATO and Western allies to enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine amid Russia’s ongoing invasion and aerial attacks of its cities.
European Council President, Charles Michel. had on Thursday said that enforcing a no-fly zone over Ukraine is a NATO decision, adding that it presented a “real risk of escalation and a real risk of a possible third international war.”
According to the US ambassador to the United Nations, the United States has said that it will not put US troops in the air to create a no-fly zone in Ukraine.
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