London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Aug 11, 2026

Ukraine: A no-fly zone could go nuclear, warns Welsh minister

Ukraine: A no-fly zone could go nuclear, warns Welsh minister

Any Nato-imposed no-fly zone over Ukraine could escalate to "nuclear warfare", a Welsh minister has warned.

Labour Member of the Senedd Mick Antoniw is of Ukrainian descent and visited the country last week.

He said he thinks "most Ukrainians" see the risk of UK and Nato forces becoming "directly involved in the war".

But Mr Antoniw told the BBC's Walescast podcast that Ukraine needs more weapons from foreign countries to have "the capacity to fight".

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has appealed to Western countries to set up a no-fly zone but the UK's defence secretary has rejected the idea, saying it would likely trigger a Europe-wide conflict.

In a news conference in Poland on Tuesday, a Ukrainian journalist confronted Boris Johnson, saying people in Ukraine "are desperately asking for the West to protect our sky. We are asking for a no-fly zone."

A no-fly zone over Ukraine would mean that military forces - specifically Nato forces - would have to engage directly with any Russian planes spotted in those skies and shoot at them if necessary.

Mick Antoniw (right) visited Ukraine last week


Asked on Walescast if he supported President Zelensky's call for a no-fly zone, the Welsh government's Counsel General Mr Antoniw said: "I think most Ukrainians recognise that for Nato to actually become directly involved in the war would then escalate it to potential nuclear warfare.

"So, what I'm hearing from most Ukrainians is that we need Stinger missiles, we need the ammunition, we need the capacity to fight, we need air defence systems, we need some of the radar communications technology.

"Although in the last month or two, more and more weaponry has been going to Ukraine, when you consider this situation's been developing for eight years, it is really, in many ways, too little, too late."

UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is reported to have warned his MPs that any of them who attempt to attack Nato or indulge in "false equivalence" with Russian aggression will be kicked out of the party.

A group of 11 Labour MPs from the left of the party, including Cynon Valley MP Beth Winter, removed their names from a statement by the Stop the War campaign group, which heavily criticises Nato, after being warned they risked losing the party whip.

Mr Antoniw, who is on the left of the Labour party, told the podcast he thinks left-wing politicians' attitudes to Nato have "already changed" in light of events in Ukraine.

He added: "The position that a number of people have held, the stop some wars sort of approach, I think has just lost all credibility. It has no basis in reality at the moment.

"Everyone that I associate with on the socialist left, I think, are fully behind Ukraine now and I think now recognise there has to be a defensive system."


Mark Drakeford wants to see more done by the UK to help refugees fleeing war in Ukraine

Watch: Ukrainian woman breaks down in tears during question to UK PM


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Nicola Sturgeon Says She Has No Contact With Estranged Husband After SNP Embezzlement Case
Police Arrest Two Men After Aberdeenshire Defense Technology Office Break-In
Greater Manchester Councils Gain Powers to Restrict New Vape and Betting Shops
Coroner Finds Treasury Workplace Failures Contributed to Personal Assistant’s Suicide
English and Welsh Courts Ban Meta Smart Glasses Over Recording and Privacy Risks
Strait of Hormuz Disruption Could Double UK Inflation and Trigger Recession, Forecasters Warn
UK Expands Global Talent Visa Scheme to Support Research-Intensive Companies
UK Equity Funds Suffer Record One Point Six Billion Pound Outflow Amid Capital Gains Tax Fears
Three-Quarters of England Enters Drought as Fifth Summer Heatwave Raises Economic Risks
UK Hiring Stabilizes for First Time Since 2022 as Employers Adjust to Higher Payroll Costs
UK Chancellor Orders Whitehall Spending Cuts as Public Debt Exceeds Three Trillion Pounds
UK Manufacturing Output Records Fourth Straight Month of Growth
UK Condemns Russian Torture of Ukrainian Prisoners and Recruitment of Foreign Nationals
Long-Lost Royal Navy Warship HMS Tiger Found in English Channel After 118 Years
Northern Ireland Finance Minister Seeks Urgent Treasury Talks Over Regional Budget Pressures
UK Government Targets Subscription Traps and Misleading Discounts in New Consumer Rules
Alleged Cartel Boss Daniel Kinahan Extradited From Dubai to Face Criminal Charges
AI Chatbots Challenge Traditional News Consumption and Raise Job Concerns
Andy Burnham Government Promises Crackdown on Exploitative Business Practices
UK University Funding Model Faces Growing Pressure From Unsustainable Student Debt
Government Urged to Subsidise Energy Bills for Vulnerable UK Households
UK Military Spending Plans Threaten to Deepen Infrastructure Funding Gap
Israeli Government Rejects US Peace Framework for Gaza
New Labour Government Signals Closer Economic and Strategic Ties With European Union
Amber Heat-Health Alerts Issued Across England as Temperatures Threaten 36 Degrees
UK Economy Expected to Grow Despite Energy and Supply Chain Shock From Iran Conflict
Foreign Social Media Accounts Drove Disinformation During Belfast and Southampton Riots
Record Number of Migrants Cross English Channel in Single Vessel as Smugglers Deploy Mega-Dinghies
Russia’s A7 Builds a State-Linked Payments Network Beyond Western Sanctions
Reports of Mark Zuckerberg-Linked Superyacht Declining Rescue Assistance Draw Maritime Scrutiny
Preserving Three Banksy Artworks in London Has Cost Taxpayers Nearly £150,000
Four Ugandan Athletes Disappear From Delegation After UK Sporting Events
French Authorities Report Channel Interventions as Cross-Border Migration Dispute Continues
Home Office Admits Error in Settled Status Case Involving Long-Term Italian Resident
Unite Calls for Independent Review of UK Budget Watchdog's Fiscal Forecasting Rules
Thinktank Calls for £175 Annual Energy Bill Cut for Low-Income Households
Foreign-Linked Social Media Accounts Amplified Recent Unrest in Belfast and Southampton, Analysis Finds
London Mayor Sadiq Khan Orders Westminster to Drop Proposed Soho and West End Hospitality Ban
Royal Navy Deployments to Monitor Russian Activity in UK Waters Rise 25 Percent
UK Economy Expected to Grow 0.4 Percent in Second Quarter Despite Geopolitical Pressures
Andy Burnham Launches Cost-of-Living Measures Targeting Subscription Traps and Misleading Discounts
Hyper-Realistic Reborn Dolls Draw Collectors Seeking Comfort and Craft
Gen Z Cuts Back on Dating as a Night Out Nears $200
Patients Turn to Artificial Intelligence for Therapy as Psychiatrists Warn of Privacy and Clinical Risks
Couples Embrace ‘Sleep Divorce’ to Protect Rest and Reduce Tension
Meta Ordered to Pay $567 Million and Change Facebook and Instagram Safeguards for Children
Up to only 10 Months in Prison for Swedish Officer’s Murderer Sparks Anger
Success: Nvidia Turned Gaming Chips Into the Engine of the AI Boom
Jorge Messi, Lionel Messi’s Father and Longtime Agent, Dies at 68
AI’s Next Bottleneck Is Power, Not Just Nvidia Chips
×