Ukraine Russia Conflict: The activist told Boris Johnson that Ukrainians needed a no-fly zone. (File)
Warsaw:
Western powers must enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine to stop an unfolding humanitarian disaster, an activist said on Tuesday in a passionate plea to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to do more to help her country in the wake of Russia’s Russian crisis. military attack.
Johnson was answering questions from journalists at the British embassy in Warsaw when Daria Kaleniuk, a Ukrainian activist from the NGO Anti-Corruption Action Center, told him that Ukrainians needed a no-fly zone.
“Ukrainian women and Ukrainian children are in deep fear because of the bombs and missiles that are falling from the sky. The Ukrainian people are desperately asking the West to protect our sky,” she said, her voice echoing with emotion.
“Britain guarantees our security under the Budapest Memorandum, so you come to Poland, you don’t come to Kiev, Prime Minister… because you are afraid.”
Britain, along with other nuclear powers the United States and Russia, is a signatory to the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, under which Ukraine gave up its own nuclear weapons in exchange for security guarantees.
In response, Johnson said there was “not enough we as the British government can do to help… in the way you want.”
“The implication of that (no flying zone) is that the UK would be involved in shooting down Russian planes, be in direct combat with Russia. That’s not something we can do or imagine.”
Speaking to Reuters after the question-and-answer session, Kaleniuk condemned Britain’s refusal to abide by security commitments it made nearly three decades ago, saying a no-fly zone was essential to deliver humanitarian aid to the central and eastern Ukraine.
“Ukrainian children are in air raid shelters during the bombings and the UK and the United States say we are sorry we will not go to war against Russia, we will not protect your skies … because we are just afraid of the third world war,” she said. †
“So what does this security guarantee mean? Nothing.”
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