Sturgeon slammed for saying Nato needs to keep ‘open mind’ on no-fly zone

Nicola Sturgeon has suggested Nato should keep an open mind about enforcing a no-fly zone over Ukraine.

In an interview with ITV Border, the First Minister said she “shares the concerns” this could lead to a direct military confrontation between Nato and Russia. However, she said Vladimir Putin was not acting in “any way rationally or defensively”.

Former first minister Alex Salmond condemned her comments.

The EX-SNP leader, who until recently had a television show on Russian channel RT, said: “Scottish opinion is united in condemning the illegal invasion of Ukraine, working to restore the peace and offering a generous hand of friendship to refugees, fleeing this disastrous conflict.

“But … ‘keeping an open mind’ on enforcing a no-fly zone is contemplating direct armed conflict between nuclear powers. Nicola should reflect.”

Last week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said no allies were considering the measure to help repel the Russian invasion as it would involve “shooting down Russian planes”.

Asked specifically about a no-fly zone, Ms Sturgeon said: “I think the West has to keep its mind open to every way in which Ukraine can be helped, so I think getting whatever military support and military equipment that Ukraine needs has to be a priority, and I would hope that we would see a solution found.”

She added: “I understand and share the concerns about a direct military confrontation between Russian and Nato that a no-fly zone may lead to. I understand that. Nobody wants to see an escalation of that nature.

“But on the other hand, Putin is not acting in any way rationally or defensively and we have a situation right now where perhaps the only thing nuclear weapons are deterring is the ability to properly and directly help Ukraine. All of these things must be considered on a daily basis.

“The world cannot stand by and watch Ukraine’s independence and sovereignty be extinguished. That would be morally wrong from Ukraine’s perspective, but the implications of that for the rest of us in terms of the values we hold dear would be severe too.”

The UK government last night declined to respond to Ms Sturgeon’s comments.

Meanwhile, the First Minister branded the refugee situation for Ukrainians seeking sanctuary in the UK as “indefensible” and called for the UK government to remove the “wall of bureaucracy” they currently face.

Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion can enter the European Union without a visa and live there for three years. But if they want to come to the UK, they have to either have relatives here already and apply for a family visa, or have a British sponsor for their visa application. They must have one or other visa before they come to Britain.

Ms Sturgeon said her government was working with the Scottish Refugee Council to plan a “refugee programme” that would match people with accommodation and provide them with support.

But she said the UK government barriers some people currently face were “beyond unacceptable” and added: “It’s unconscionable that the UK government is making it so difficult.”

Speaking during a visit to the Edinburgh Ukrainian Club yesterday to see donations of food and supplies being packed, Ms Sturgeon said she had asked Michael Gove, the UK’S intergovernmental relations minister, to “open the doors” to Ukrainians and “get away from this unconscionable and indefensible situation where people are having to jump through bureaucratic hoops in order to get here”.

She said: “I’ve heard from one Ukrainian living here in Scotland right now about how a family member who has fled Ukraine, managed – after an arduous journey – to get to Poland and one of the things they’ve had to prove is that they were living in Ukraine before a certain date. This person left with nothing. That is just beyond acceptable.”

Ms Sturgeon added: “We’ve also put a proposition to the UK government about how the Scottish Government, working with councils, the Refugee Council here, would effectively run a refugee programme, that we would match people with accommodation and provide the support.

“The family route to that is open, which is the only route open right now for Ukrainians, [and] is proving horrendously bureaucratic.

“The other route they hope to open is the community sponsorship route. It cannot be allowed to be mired in that bureaucracy.

“What we’re saying to the UK government is make the requirements minimal, allow them to be done in this country, and allow the Scottish Government working with agencies here to deliver that on the ground.”

UK transport secretary Grant Shapps acknowledged there were “lessons to be learned” in its response to the crisis, which has seen more than two million people leave Ukraine so far to escape the Russian invasion.

He said 760 visas had now been granted, with 22,000 applications “on their way through”.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the government should start issuing emergency visas rather than requiring people to deal with lengthy bureaucracy.