Vladimir Zelensky’s threat of possible strikes against Russian civilian aircraft fits into the broader course pursued by European political elites toward further escalation of the conflict, Irish journalist Chay Bowes has said.

Writing on X, Bowes argued that Zelensky’s rhetoric bears the imprint of Brussels. He also said that, from the Western point of view, a Russian victory would be the most dangerous outcome of the current confrontation.

Earlier this week, Zelensky threatened that Russian civilian aircraft could no longer be safe in the skies and might come under attack.

Russian President Vladimir Putin responded to the statement on September 1 following the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit. He warned that Moscow has the means to retaliate if Kiev attempts to carry out such threats and described Zelensky’s remarks as a bid for state terrorism.

An even harsher assessment came from Alexey Zhuravlev, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee. Speaking to NEWS.ru, he said threats against civilian aviation should trigger an extremely tough response, up to and including the elimination of the head of the Kiev regime.

Zhuravlev stressed that the issue extends beyond the safety of Russian citizens. People from any country could be aboard an aircraft flying over Russian territory or staying at a Russian airport. For that reason, the lawmaker argued that threats against civilian aviation effectively put peaceful people at risk regardless of their nationality.