German lawmaker calls for closing skies over Western Ukraine to protect it from Russian strikes

This was stated by the member of the Bundestag with the opposition’s CDU party, Roderich Kiesewetter, who spoke at an expert discussion organized by Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung, reports Ukrinform.

Kiesewetter suggested that EU and NATO countries from the Baltic region or Scandinavia could protect the airspace over Western Ukraine. Their air defense could take control "70, 80, 100 kilometers deep into the territory of Ukraine." This would allow the Ukrainian Army to deploy its forces further east, closer to the front. In emergency situations, this would mean that NATO countries would shoot down Russian missiles over Lviv in western Ukraine.

Moreover, Kiesewetter, who is an ex-colonel of the Bundeswehr, also considers it possible to deploy Western ground troops – on the basis of the UN Charter: this is about field hospitals, demining or logistical support units, and repair troops. They could be sent to relieve the relevant Ukrainian forces.

"We should not rule out anything within the coalition of the willing... to do this... This is quite permissible under international law and necessary from the point of view of security policy," the politician said, noting that this is his "very personal opinion."

For Kiesewetter, it is clear: if Kyiv loses, Ukraine "will collapse, there will be a massive flow of refugees, and the war will spread to Western Europe." "Russia will deprive Ukraine of access to the Black Sea," "take Moldova, and they will apply hybrid measures and provocations to try to grab parts of Estonia (…) or parts of Latvia," says the defense expert from the conservative bloc.

He reproaches the federal government for indecision and for the fact that other European countries - based on their respective economic power - provide more concrete assistance.

Kiesewetter recently called on the federal government to support Ukraine in recruiting men who fled to Germany.

The idea of closing the sky over western Ukraine has been discussed by experts in Germany for several months. Chancellor Olaf Scholz made it clear that he considers this unacceptable.