Estonia Becomes First NATO Member To Officially Endorse No Fly Zone Over Ukraine
By Donald Standeford, Correspondent - Follow -
Date Published: March 14, 2022 07:45PM UTC
Last Modified: March 14, 2022 07:45PM UTC
ESTONIA - The Estonian Parliament has formally called for the implementation of a no-fly zone in Ukraine and a total trade embargo against Russia, becoming the first NATO member to officially endorse a no-fly zone in the war-torn country.
The Parliament has urged NATO member states to "take immediate steps to establish a no-fly zone" over Ukraine in order to prevent further civilian deaths as a result of the invasion by Russia.
"The Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) expresses its support to the defenders and the people of the state of Ukraine in their fight against the Russian Federation that has launched a criminal war, and calls on showing absolute support to Ukraine in its war for maintaining its freedom, sovereignty and territorial integrity" Estonia's parliament said in a statement Monday.
The statement said that it 'underlines' that Russia's 'unprovoked aggression and military activities constitute a crime against peace with no statute of limitations, and that all war crimes that have been committed will have to be punished".
"The Riigikogu asks the UN member states to take immediate steps to establish a no-fly zone in order to prevent massive civilian casualties in Ukraine". The Riigikogu urges all national parliaments to adopt statements that call on their governments to support the imposition of additional sanctions against the Russian Federation as well as the Republic of Belarus that participates in the aggression" the parliament said.
They also demanded an "immediate imposition of a comprehensive trade embargo on the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, which would restrict the capability of the aggressor states to wage war".
"The Riigikogu calls on states to close their airspace and ports to the aircraft and ships of the Russian Federation" and called on "members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to vote for excluding the Russian Federation from the membership of the Council of Europe, and calls on the member states to adopt a relevant decision immediately".
"The Riigikogu invites the member states to support Ukraine’s official application for the status of a EU candidate state and calls on granting Ukraine a roadmap to membership in NATO".
