The parliament of Estonia on Monday called for UN member states to “take immediate steps to establish a no-fly zone” over Ukraine to prevent further civilian casualties as Russia’s multi-front war against the country rages on.
Estonia is the first NATO member nation to have a body formally call for the implementation of a no-fly zone amid Russia’s ongoing invasion.
“The Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) expresses its support to the defenders and the people of the state of Ukraine in their fight against the Russian Federation that has launched a criminal war and calls on showing absolute support to Ukraine in its war for maintaining its freedom, sovereignty, and territorial integrity,” Estonia’s parliament said in a statement Monday.
Estonia’s parliament said it “underlines” that Russia’s “unprovoked aggression and military activities constitute a crime against peace with no statute of limitations, and that all war crimes that have been committed will have to be punished.”
“The Riigikogu asks the UN member states to take immediate steps to establish a no-fly zone in order to prevent massive civilian casualties in Ukraine,” the body stated. “The Riigikogu urges all national parliaments to adopt statements that call on their governments to support the imposition of additional sanctions against the Russian Federation as well as the Republic of Belarus that participates in the aggression.”
Meawnhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that a possibility of nuclear conflict exists in the midst of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Guterres briefed journalists on the Ukraine situation Monday, where he described multilateral efforts to reach a diplomatic end to Russia’s attack on the country.
During this presser, Guterres spoke to the recurring questions about how Vladimir Putin’s military steps against Ukraine could lead to the breakout of nuclear war. “Raising the alert level of Russian nuclear forces is a bone-chilling development,” Guterres said. “The prospect of nuclear conflict, once unthinkable, is now back within the realm of possibility.”
Guterres also called for the safeguarding of nuclear facilities, which comes amid rising public concerns when the Chernobyl nuclear plant recently got cut off from the Ukrainian national power grid. Power was restored to the Chernobyl facility on Sunday as officials warned there could have been a potential nuclear disaster if power failed long enough for a radioactive leak to happen.
“It’s time to stop the horror unleashed on the people of Ukraine and get on the path of diplomacy and peace,” Guterres said. “The appeals for peace must be heard. This tragedy must stop.”
