Zuzana Čaputová: I understand Zelenský’s anger, but if NATO were involved in the conflict in Ukraine, it would mean the Third World War – REFRESHER

The President of the Slovak Republic Zuzana Čaputová responded to a speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenský, who criticized NATO a few days ago for refusing to establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine.

He said NATO would be responsible for every other victim in Ukraine for its inability to intervene. Čaputová said that she understood Zelenský’s words and anger, but took a clear position that the establishment of a no-fly zone over Ukraine would mean direct involvement in the war and would involve thirty countries in the conflict, with far-reaching consequences.

“The North Atlantic Alliance does not want to and cannot allow this, we are united in this,” said the president. However, she added that Slovakia will continue to help its neighbors, especially humanitarian ones, but also by supplying weapons to Ukraine, thus helping them to defend themselves. “We will not look with folded hands at how Ukrainians are suffering. However, active involvement in the fighting in Ukraine would mean a third world war. “ said the president.

After all, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that declaring a no-fly zone over Ukraine would be seen as an attack on Russia. According to Čaputová, I guess no one expected the Russian president to go that far and come with a military invasion. She also added that in his statements from recent days, the Russian president is deceiving or misleading and using completely meaningless arguments.

She also reminded that civilians are dying in Ukraine and “sending handkerchiefs” would not help them, so according to her, sending military equipment from Slovakia is completely legitimate. At the same time, it tried to reassure the public that, thanks to NATO membership, Slovakia is not yet in direct danger of a military conflict with Russia. “We are under the security umbrella of the North Atlantic Alliance,” declared the head of state.

She added that the latest sanctions against the Russian Federation are unprecedented and massive, but there is still room for “going further”. However, she pointed out that they also apply to ordinary civilians. When asked what state Slovakia is in oil or gas reserves, she said that we have reserves for the year. It did not rule out that there could be an increase in energy prices in the near future.