Ukrainian lawmaker: NATO 'soliciting the crime and aggression that Putin is committing'

Ukrainian Member of Parliament Lesia Vasylenko on Tuesday accused NATO members of encouraging Russia's attacks on Ukraine by not doing enough to halt Moscow's ongoing invasion.

Vasylenko told CNN that "the only responsible thing would be to stand by Ukraine and to help us physically eradicate the aggression that Putin is waging on Ukraine and on the peace and security system of the world."

"They are all these countries who are standing by, watching Ukraine cope and making bets over how many more days Ukraine will last," she added. "They are acting irresponsibly, and they are soliciting the crime and aggression that Putin is committing against Ukraine."

"If he is not stopped, he will prevail and he will continue pushing on to other countries. NATO member states, non-NATO member states, he doesn't care," the parliament member warned.

Vasylenko also said that "the only responsible thing to do is to act now to provide a no-fly zone over Ukraine and also to be here present on the ground providing humanitarian assistance."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also pushed for the United States to establish a no-fly zone over the country, making the pitch directly to Congress last week.

But that suggestion has been rejected by the Biden administration and by lawmakers in both parties because the U.S. or other European countries would have to enforce it by shooting down Russian planes entering Ukrainian airspace, raising the risk of an escalating war between nuclear powers.

Since the invasion began on Feb. 24, roughly 10 million Ukrainians have left their homes, seeking shelter elsewhere in the country or fleeing to other countries.