"[Western countries] are always concerned about possible escalation," he told journalists on Aug. 4. "We are fighting against that. We will work on it."
The Ukrainian leader added that Kyiv is considering "technical possibilities for neighboring nations to use military aircraft against missiles that strike Ukraine" after flying in the general direction of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member countries – in other words, a coalition to intercept Russian missiles bound for Ukraine. But according to Mac Slavo of SHTF Plan, the taunts by Zelensky appear to be "an attempt to expand the ongoing conflict with Russia."
"Kyiv has long been pressuring its Western backers, which [includes] NATO, to become more involved in the conflict with Moscow and start shooting down Russian drones and missiles over Ukrainian territory," Russia Today (RT) noted. "However, its efforts have been rebuffed by foreign powers reluctant to engage in a direct military confrontation with Russia."
Ever since the Russia-Ukraine war broke out in February 2022, Zelensky has been calling for a no-fly zone to be set up in Ukraine's airspace. According to military experts, realistically enforcing this demand from Kyiv would require NATO members to attack Russian planes in the air and at airfields inside Russia. (Related: Russia warns all airfields hosting Kyiv's F-16 fighter jets are legitimate targets – even if they aren't in Ukraine.)
The idea of a less ambitious shield over western Ukraine was floated last month as Kyiv signed a bilateral security deal with Warsaw. The Polish government said it is willing to answer to Ukraine's request, provided that NATO approved of the plan. The U.S., however, objected to the proposal.
Zakharova blasts Ukraine for spreading TERRORISM
Zelensky's Aug. 4 remarks to the press followed his confirmation that sponsors had delivered American-designed F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. But RT stated, citing media reports, that the fighter jets given to Kyiv are "too small-scale to become a game-changer on the front line." Given this observation, defense experts have suggested that the aircraft would likely be used to intercept cruise missiles used for long-range strikes.
A day before, Zelensky expressed a desire for Kyiv to attack targets deep inside Russia. For such operations, Ukraine has been relying on domestically produced kamikaze drones as Kyiv is prohibited from using armaments donated by the West for this purpose.
"Moscow has been targeting Ukrainian military assets as well as some key infrastructure sites, such as power stations, which it considers crucial for Kyiv's war effort," RT remarked. "According to Russian officials, the conflict is a U.S.-led proxy war in which Ukrainian troops serve as 'cannon fodder' for Western geostrategic interests."
One such official critical of Kyiv and its war effort is Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In an Aug. 7 interview, she condemned Ukraine after its military breached Russia's Kursk region the previous day.
"This is an act of terrorism. It was obviously directed against peaceful people, there is no doubt about that," Zakharova told Sputnik Radio. "Things will get worse in terms of Ukrainian terrorism spreading across the planet. It's not a joke."
Head over to UkraineWitness.com for more stories about the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
Watch this video explaining why a major escalation of conflict with Russia is inevitable.
This video is from The Prisoner channel on Brighteon.com.
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