Risk of a 'Big War': Trump Wants to Close Ukraine's Skies — What Is Russia's Reaction?

U.S. President Donald Trump's refusal to rule out closing Ukraine's airspace as a security guarantee has caused serious concern and objections in Russia. Russian politicians and military experts warn that such a step would lead directly to a major armed conflict. Zamin.uz presents the details surrounding this statement and the Russian side's reaction.

Trump's Statement: Air Control Over Ukraine

In a recent statement, U.S. President Donald Trump touched upon security guarantees for Ukraine, oil refineries, and negotiations with Kyiv and Zelenskyy.

Answering a question about security guarantees for Ukraine, he did not rule out the option of establishing control over the country's airspace (closing the skies). At the same time, the U.S. leader emphasized that Washington might completely abandon such guarantees if an agreement can be reached through other means.

Senator Dzhabarov: 'This Means an Escalation of the Conflict'

Vladimir Dzhabarov, a senator of the Russian Federation Council, stated that the potential closure of airspace over Ukraine could lead to a sharp escalation of the conflict and pose additional risks for Russia. The politician described the dangerous aspects of this scenario as follows:

• Such a decision would essentially mean drawing many participants into a direct confrontation.

• This step could go beyond the scope of the current conflict between Moscow and Kyiv.

• Donald Trump may not fully understand that closing the airspace over Ukraine means war and an expansion of the conflict.

• Military experts will soon be able to explain the potential consequences of such a step to the American leader.

Kremlin Reaction and Expert Conclusions

Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov stated that the idea of closing Ukraine's skies had not been discussed previously. He emphasized that such a scenario implies the involvement of NATO forces, which is completely contrary to Russia's interests.

Experts from military and academic circles have also expressed their views on this issue:

• Military expert Vladimir Orlov explains, that in the Western understanding, closing the skies means establishing full control over the airspace in the conflict zone. In his opinion, in any case, this would be assessed by Russia's military-political leadership as an attempt to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia, with all the resulting consequences.

• According to Ilya Kramnik, a researcher at the IMEMO of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the U.S. is not yet ready for such a step, as such a decision would mean dragging Washington into a direct armed confrontation.