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Ukraine needs a ‘West Berlin’ NATO flyover

By Craig Hooper

While Moscow is facing strong resistance in Ukraine, unable to unleash its invasive – and destructive – plans, the situation for the civilian Ukrainians remains bleak. Temporary truces to evacuate civilians from Mariupol and Volnovaka have collapsed. As there are no auspicious developments on the horizon, the creation of safe airways that will save lives must be considered.

There is no time. Within the next few days, the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine will be unbearable.

In Europe, safe airways have been used for humanitarian purposes in the past. The United States, Britain, and France used humanitarian air corridors in 1948 and 1949, when the Soviet Union blockaded West Berlin. The flyover to Berlin was set up through three air corridors to supply the German city.

A similar approach can be applied today to Kyiv and, possibly, to supporting humanitarian operations in other Ukrainian cities.

In contrast to the creation of a no-fly zone over Ukraine, which Vladimir Putin warned would be “directly involved in hostilities,” humanitarian aid flights could be scheduled to coincide with airspace where they unfold. possibly military air operations. Humanitarian airstrips only need patrols and surveillance for as long as the aircraft are in the air, transporting food and necessities to besieged cities or removing refugees from the war zone.

To maintain security on the ground, NATO airborne troops can take control of Kiev’s still-functioning Boryspil International Airport or other civilian airports in western or southern Ukraine, turning them into safe havens for refugees. With airports safe, civilian aircraft or military transporters can then transport food and equipment, as well as evacuate refugees at risk of hostilities.

NATO still has fresh memories of the epic flyover it set up in 2021 in Kabul, while it also has experience in creating a safe perimeter in areas of tension. With the consent – and possibly the cooperation – of the competent personnel in the Ukrainian and Russian military forces, a humanitarian operation is a possible mission for the experienced – logistically – NATO potential.

If the North Atlantic Alliance can transport 6,000 combat troops thousands of miles away, to develop into a country of utter chaos and then free up about 122,000 people, then it can certainly take responsibility for operating one or two airports. in a country that, so far, has not been leveled, as happened during World War II.

Such a venture is certainly risky. But NATO has repeatedly acted under dangerous circumstances. US and NATO forces have operated airports close to the Russian “camp” or in war zones such as Lebanon and others.

Some fear that Russia could test chemical or nuclear weapons on the ground if the invasion of Ukrainian cities does not turn out well for Putin. A NATO presence at a nearby airport would almost rule out this possibility.

Of course, humanitarian operations also carry risks. 17 American and eight British aircraft were lost on the Berlin flyover. Ready-to-fight fighters came “berry by berry”. But with modern de-escalation and NATO air patrols that can tame overly “hot-headed” pilots or have to avoid ground fire, scheduled humanitarian flights through designated runways can help prevent a humanitarian crisis that threatens to tarnish Russia’s military reputation forever.

Certainly, Putin would not want NATO to build a second “Berlin flyover.” But at the moment, the Russian president does not have much room for maneuver with NATO. Putin’s “barking” is worse than his “bite” – he has already said that everything from financial sanctions to humanitarian aid is a “declaration of war” and that the consequences for Westerners will be unprecedented in their history. . These threats have so far proved to be hollow.

It is time for NATO to show courage in achieving its humanitarian goals. Instead of wasting time trying to persuade the Russian president – a modern version of Russia’s last emperor, Nicholas II – that Europe should take a different approach. NATO can reach out to the right professionals left in the Russian military, informing them of what it intends to do to alleviate human suffering in Ukraine and then put the words into practice. Such a move seems dangerous, but as pressure mounts on civilized nations to resolve a humanitarian crisis comparable to the sieges of Leningrad and Stalingrad, it is the only option that can prevent a full-blown conflict. And who knows; With weakened Russian units surviving on expired cold meals, Russia’s disorganized military may eventually need NATO humanitarian aid.

Read also:

* Russian documents come to light: Putin planned to invade Ukraine many months earlier

* Putin is playing the “crazy card” in Ukraine

* Putin has changed the world when it comes to nuclear weapons

Source: Capital

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