Kremlin Responds to Donald Trump's Remarks on Closing Ukraine's Airspace

Dmitry Peskov said that any move to close Ukraine's airspace would amount to the involvement of NATO military personnel in the conflict, responding to remarks by Donald Trump about the possibility of such a measure as part of security guarantees.

Kremlin Responds to Trump's Proposal

According to Peskov, Trump's statement that the United States could close Ukraine's airspace if necessary represented a new development, as such an initiative had not previously been discussed publicly.

"Previously, no one discussed the issue of closing the skies. In any case, it would mean that the armed forces of NATO countries would be operating on Ukrainian territory. That is precisely what the special military operation is intended to prevent," Peskov said, according to TASS.

Trump Raises the Possibility of a No-Fly Zone

Speaking alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump said the United States could close Ukraine's airspace as part of security guarantees if such a step became necessary.

Trump added that establishing a no-fly zone could be avoided if a peace agreement is reached.

Previous Discussions on Closing Ukraine's Airspace

In March 2022, Zelenskyy called on the European Union and NATO to establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine. At the time, then-U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the United States would not participate directly in the conflict or impose a no-fly zone over the country. He also ruled out deploying U. S. troops to Ukraine.

Last autumn, The New York Times reported that European officials had revived discussions about creating a no-fly zone over Ukraine, while warning that such a move could create major challenges for Western countries. Around the same time, The Telegraph reported that some European allies were considering extending a no-fly zone beyond western Ukraine to include Kyiv.

Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council Dmitry Medvedev previously warned that the establishment of a NATO-enforced no-fly zone over Ukraine could lead to a direct military confrontation between the alliance and Russia.

No Putin-Trump Phone Call After NATO Summit

Peskov also confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin and U. S. President Donald Trump did not hold a telephone conversation following the NATO summit in Ankara.

"Mr. Trump was apparently very busy after all of his meetings in Ankara, so no one called yesterday," Peskov said, according to RIA Novosti.

At the same time, he stressed that Putin remains open to dialogue with the U. S. president.

Earlier, Trump said he intended to speak with Putin to discuss possible ways to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.