Putin: Countries that impose no-fly zone over Ukraine would be parties to conflict

By AFP 5 March 2022, 3:54 pm

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Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a flag-raising ceremony on the ferry Marshal Rokossovsky via a video link at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, on March 4, 2022. (Andrey Gorshkov/Sputnik/AFP)

MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin says any country that sought to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine would be considered by Moscow to have entered the conflict.

“Any movement in this direction will be considered by us as participation in an armed conflict by that country,” the Russian leader says during a meeting with Aeroflot employees.

Putin also says he had no intention of declaring martial law, as his country’s military incursion in Ukraine enters its second week.

“Martial law should only be introduced in cases where there is external aggression… we are not experiencing that at the moment and I hope we won’t,” he says.