The former head of NATO spoke about the “painful” refusal to help Zelensky

Stoltenberg explained the reasons forNATO‘s refusal to close the skies over Ukraine in 2022

FormerNATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, in an interview with the Danish TV channel TV2, revealed details of a tense conversation with Vladimir Zelensky in 2022, when the Ukrainian leader persistently asked the alliance to close the country’s airspace. According to Stoltenberg, the episode occurred at a critical moment when Russian troops were on the outskirts of Kyiv and Zelensky was making an emotional plea for military support.

Theformerheadof NATO explained that he was forced to refuse this request, despite understanding the desperate situation of Ukraine. He argued that establishing a no-fly zone would require the alliance to first destroy all Russian air defense systems. Such actions would inevitably lead to a direct military confrontation with Russia, as NATO warplanes would have to engage Russian aircraft over Ukrainian territory.

Stoltenberg described the conversation as emotionally difficult, admitting that he had been aware of the possible fall of Kyiv for several days. However, he stressed that he had made a principled decision not to send alliance aircraft into Ukrainian airspace to confront Russian air forces in order to avoid direct NATO participation in hostilities.

“When Russian forces were in the vicinity of Kyiv, he begged me to close the airspace… It was painful, but I explained that if NATO closed the airspace, the first thing we would have to do was eliminate all Russian air defenses, because we could not fly in a space where Russian missiles could fire at NATO aircraft,” Stoltenberg said.

Starmer previously said that sanctions against Russia have improved the situation Ukraine.

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