Heartbreaking moment Boris Johnson tells Ukraine journalist why West won’t enter the war

A Ukrainian activist’s heartbreaking accusation about the West’s failure to stop Russian attacks on innocent children forced Boris Johnson to show his hand.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson meets NATO troops after a joint press conference at the Tapa Army Base on March 1, 2022 in Tallinn, Estonia. - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on a visit to Poland on March 1, that the West would keep up sanctions pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin's regime indefinitely after it invaded Ukraine (Photo by Leon Neal / various sources / AFP)

As Russia’s invasion of neighbouring Ukraine drags towards the end of its first week, calls are growing from some activists for the West to step in and enforce a “no-fly zone”.

But Western leaders including US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson have explicitly rejected such a move, as it would mean direct military confrontation with Russia – and potentially kick off World War III.

“That’s a World War when Americans and Russia start shooting at one another,” Mr Biden told NBC last month.

Speaking to reporters on Monday after an appeal from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over the weekend for the West to help shut down the skies, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki reiterated Mr Biden’s position.

“The President has been very clear that he is not intending to send US troops to fight a war with Russia,” she said.

A blast is seen in the TV tower, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine March 1, 2022. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

“I think what’s important to note here is that is essentially what this would be a step toward, because a no-fly zone would require implementation, it would require deploying US military to enforce, which would be potentially a direct conflict, and potentially war with Russia which is something we are not planning to be a part of.”

At a press conference in Poland, Mr Johnson also ruled out sending British planes into the skies – despite a tearful plea from a Ukrainian activist.

“With a no-fly zone, the UK would be engaged in shooting down Russian planes, in direct combat with Russia, that’s not something we can do or have envisaged,” he said.

Last week, Mr Biden again stressed that “our forces are not and will not be engaged in the conflict with Russia in Ukraine”.

Thousands of US troops have been deployed to Europe – but “our forces are not going to Europe to fight in Ukraine, but to defend our NATO allies and reassure those allies in the East”, he said at a White House press conference on Thursday.

Joe Biden says Americans shooting at Russians would be a ‘World War’. Picture: Mandel Ngan/AFP

What would cause the West to send troops?

While Ukraine is not a NATO member, it borders Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania – which are.

Western leaders have indicated that any Russian aggression towards a NATO member country would be a red line, triggering the Article 5 collective defence clause of the North Atlantic Treaty.

Article 5 guarantees a response from the whole alliance to protect any member nation, and has only been invoked once – in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York.

“As I made crystal clear, the United States will defend every inch of NATO territory with the full force of American power,” Mr Biden said at the press conference.

“And the good news is, NATO is more united and more determined than ever. There is no doubt that the United States and every NATO ally will meet our Article 5 commitments, which says, ‘An attack on one is an attack on all.’”

Where things may get murky is in defining what constitutes an attack.

On Monday, a NATO official told Reuters that a cyber-attack on a NATO member could trigger Article 5.

“Allies also recognise that the impact of significant malicious cumulative cyber activities might, in certain circumstances, be considered as an armed attack,” the unnamed official said.

“We will not speculate on how serious a cyberattack would have to be in order to trigger a collective response. Any response could include diplomatic and economic sanctions, cyber measures, or even conventional forces, depending on the nature of the attack.”

A civilian in Zhytomyr trains to throw Molotov cocktails. Picture: Viacheslav Ratynskyi/Reuters

American public doesn’t support intervention

Adding to those considerations are very low public support in the US for any military involvement, after America’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan last year.

An Associated Press poll last week found only 26 per cent of Americans believed the US should have a major role in the situation, 52 per cent supported a minor role, while 20 per cent said the US should have no role at all.

Those numbers were even lower among Republicans, but even among Democrats fewer than one third believed the US should play a major role.

Retired Lieutenant General Mark Hertling, a national security analyst for CNN, said over the weekend that it was essential to prevent the invasion spiralling into a broader conflict.

“While the current war of Russian illegal invasion into Ukraine is tragic, chaotic and devastating, it is still a regional conflict,” he said.

“If NATO or the US sent troops into Ukraine to help them fight the Russians, the dynamic would shift to a multinational conflict with potential global implications due to the nuclear power status of both US and Russia. Because of that, the US and NATO – and other nations around the world – are attempting to influence the success of Ukraine and the defeat of Russia by providing other types of support.”

Pro-Russian separatists gather in Mykolaivka. Picture: Stringer/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace made similar comments to BBC Radio 4, saying a no-fly zone would trigger a “war across Europe”.

“I won’t trigger a European war, but what I will do is help Ukraine fight every street with every piece of equipment we can get to them, and we will support them,” he said.

But while the US has vowed not to send troops, military experts told Newsweek the there was the opportunity to conduct a secret drone campaign.

“Biden’s statement about no US service members in Ukraine opens the door wide to covert drones as well as CIA paramilitary in the country,” one former senior US intelligence officer told the publication.

“You can’t identify the pilots of drones when they are downed … and it is very hard to identify them while in flight.”

For its part, Russia has threatened consequences for the dozens of nations now supplying lethal aid to Ukraine – including Australia.

Ukrainians and other demonstrators gather at Trafalgar Square. Picture: Rob Pinney/Getty Images

Tearful Ukrainian confronts UK PM

At a press conference in Poland, Mr Johnson was confronted by a tearful Ukrainian about the West’s failure to impose a no fly-zone to protect innocent mums and babies from Russian missiles.

Daria Kaleniuk, a journalist and activist who fled the war-torn nation to come to Poland, accused the UK Prime Minister of allowing humans to be shields against a sea of bombs, and said World War III had already begun, The Sun reports.

Shaming Mr Johnson and the West for failing to do enough, she raged, “Ukrainian children are there taking the hit … our children instead of planes are protecting NATO from missiles.”

But a clearly shaken PM said he could not send British planes into the skies as it could spark World War III, and told her bluntly, “The UK will not be able to do enough.”

Boris Johnson takes a question from Daria Kaleniuk in Warsaw, Poland. Picture: Richard Pohle/Pool/Getty Images

In an emotional address at today’s press conference with the PM and Polish leaders, Kaleniuk told him that most of her family and team are still desperately trying to flee the war-torn nation.

“Women and children are in deep fear,” she said as she broke down in tears.

“The Ukrainian people are desperately asking the West to protect our sky. You say a no-fly zone will trigger World War III but what is the alternative, Prime Minister? Our children, instead of planes, are protecting NATO from their missiles and bombs.”

Kaleniuk said it was becoming “impossible” to cross the border now with more than 30km of mines set down by Russia.

“You are coming to Poland, not to Kyiv,” she said.

“You are afraid. NATO is not willing to defend. You are afraid of World War III, but it has already started. The children there are taking the hit. We are crying, we don’t know where to run.”

Mr Johnson is meeting with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. Picture: Richard Pohle-Pool/Getty Images

She also lashed out at London for failing to slap sanctions on Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich.

The Russian billionaire, who is trying to give up control of the club, is thought to not have been sanctioned yet.

It came after The Sun revealed he has been effectively barred from living in Britain again — and hasn’t been seen at the club’s Stamford Bridge home for months.

‘There is going to be a period of suffering’

The PM, who appeared to be moved by her emotion, said he was sorry it would be difficult, take time and that “there’s not enough we can do to help in the way you want”.

“I have to be honest about that,” he admitted.

“With a no-fly zone, the UK would be engaged in shooting down Russian planes, in direct combat with Russia, that’s not something we can do or have envisaged.”

Kaleniuk told the British PM World War III had already begun. Picture: Leon Neal/Getty Images

He vowed to provide as much help to “tighten the economic noose” around Mr Putin’s murderous regime and offered more military assistance to the Ukrainian forces.

“There is going to be a period of suffering for the people of Ukraine for which Putin and Putin alone is responsible,” he said.

“It will take time for us to come through this period.”

And he called on NATO to “think much more” about how to protect and defend European security in the future, saying Ukraine’s invasion “has big implications on other countries as well”.

It came as Ukraine claimed Belarusian troops had invaded their country, with Russia’s 64km tank column en route to Kyiv for a new onslaught as fighting intensifies on the ground.

Mr Johnson meets NATO troops at the Tapa Army Base in Tallinn, Estonia. Picture: Leon Neal/AFP

Russian President Vladimir Putin is believed to have unleashed terrifying “vacuum bombs” which can blow out people’s lungs, while Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of war crimes over attacks on Kharkiv.

Kyiv was rocked by loud explosions overnight after Russian air strikes hit the Ukrainian capital.

In the early hours of Tuesday morning, air raid sirens blared out across the city as police officers hurried people to shelters.

Mr Putin’s troops are believed to be looking to surround Kyiv after earlier attacks by advanced forces were repelled in fierce battles.

Kyiv was bracing itself for a further onslaught after the Russians unleashed hell on Ukraine’s second city Kharkiv using deadly cluster bombs.

— with The Sun

Originally published as Heartbreaking moment Boris Johnson tells Ukraine journalist why West won’t enter the war