Before this virtual address and ever since Russia first invaded Ukraine on February 24 of this year, the Biden Administration has been clear in their position to not establish a no-fly zone in Ukraine. Doing so, they say, could threaten to escalate the situation, per ABC News. In contrast, the vast majority of Americans responding to polls on the matter think differently, and voted in favor of establishing no-fly zones in Ukraine, per Reuters.
In addition, 27 foreign policy experts called upon the U.S. and members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine in an open letter signed last week. Together, the coalition should “convey to Russian officials that they do not seek direct confrontation with Russian forces,” the officials wrote, “but they must also make clear that they will not countenance Russian attacks on civilian areas.”
With so many different opinions circling around about whether to establish a no-fly zone or not, it may be helpful to first understand how no-fly zones have been used historically and what we’ve learned from past implementations.
