This is why mayors of many Ukrainian cities and chairmen of local communities appealed to their foreign colleagues, asking them to demand that the governments in their countries close the sky over Ukraine – after their initial appeals failed.
“You can be a powerful voice that affects the decision making by the leaders of your countries. The demands and statements of associations and local authorities, local MPs who represent political parties can have influence on saving lives of women and children, just like we would help you to protect yours”, reads the statement.
“I spoke with New York mayor, with Boston mayor. They have their lobby in the Congress, and, of course, whatever concerns closure of the skies would be quite a powerful support for Ukraine”, said Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekhov. He urged leaders of the Western countries to close the sky and save people’s lives.
All-Ukraine Council of Churches and Religious Organizations appealed to foreign authorities, too, requesting to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine. “Millions of civilian people of various nationalities and religious confessions who lived in Ukraine peacefully faced a humanitarian catastrophe caused by the military invasion from Russia, air and missile attacks on residential neighborhoods, food storages, hospitals, maternity houses, schools and other objects of critical infrastructure of Ukrainian cities”, reads the appeal. The document also claims that in Mariupol alone, at least 2,187 peaceful residents became victims of the Russian blockade; they were killed during constant shelling, including the cases when they were trying to evacuate through humanitarian corridors. “Since there’s nothing more precious that human life, the All-Ukraine Council of Churches and Religious Organizations once again asks the world leaders, OSCE, EU and NATO member countries to take immediate action to establish the no-fly zone over Ukraine, or to provide Ukrainian army with modern means of anti-aircraft defense and fighter jets that can protect peaceful residents of Ukraine from regular bombardments and missile strikes of Russian invaders”, the statement says.
The state service for ethnic policy and freedom of conscience released its appeal to the NATO member states and all allies of Ukraine – on the behalf of Ukrainian citizens of various ethnic and religious identities, as well as foreign citizens who reside in Ukraine. The authority asked to close the Ukrainian sky. “The enemy shamelessly uses methods and ways of waging war that are banned by the UN international Convention “On the ban or limitation of use of certain kinds of conventional weapons that may be considered to be dealing excessive damage or have non–selective action”, reads the appeal. The representatives of various origins claimed that Russian aggressors deliberately shell peaceful residential areas, hospitals and maternity houses, kindergartens, schools and universities, churches and synagogues.
One of the countries that responded to Ukraine’s appeal was Estonia. On Monday, March 14, the Estonian Parliament passed the appeal to parliaments of EU and NATO member countries, in which they insisted on immediate imposing of the no-fly zone over Ukraine to avoid mass victims among civilians. Today, Western governments still have an opportunity to close the skies over Ukraine, because as they drag time with this decision, they should understand that the price of open sky is thousands of civilians murdered by Russian missiles and bombs. In case Russia continues to launch terror attacks on peaceful cities and villages, Western countries should be ready to host some 10 million refugees. Do not let that happen!
