Video Above: The Danger in Enforcing a No Fly Zone in the Russia Ukraine War
Editor Note: This article is being republished from a recent Roundtable.io interview.
Two months after the initial invasion of Ukraine, Russian troops continue to move through the country. The world remains fixated on the developing situation as Putin refuses to back down and Ukrainian president Vlodymyr Zelensky appeals for the international community’s support. A panel of experts joined Roundtable to analyze the war, Putin and Ukraine’s military strategies and the role of information in the conflict.
In this segment, the group discusses the prospect of a no fly zone over Ukraine.
Kris Osborn notes that the gravity of the measure is often misunderstood.
Video Above: Would a “No Fly” Zone Create Massive World War III with Russia?
“I spoke recently with the former commander of the Afghan air war, and he was very strongly against the no fly zone,” he recounts. “It is a major act of war, and there is the requirement to take out air defenses.”
Still, Osborn argues that the strategy could lead to a quick victory over the Kremlin.
“I don’t think Russia would stand a chance in the air against NATO, and that might be the strongest card to play,” he says. “I think it’s a really intelligent way to send that message, to create a boundary.”
Beth Knobel notes, though, that Putin’s response is unpredictable.
“NATO could decimate Russia in the air or even on land, but putting Putin in a corner is really dangerous,” she says. “He’s really capable of anything right now. Did anyone think he would be capable of what we’ve seen in Ukraine? No. Is he capable of launching a nuclear attack on someone? Yes, he is.”
Kris Osborn is the President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization and the Defense Editor for the National Interest. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a Highly Qualified Expert with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.
