Anatoly Antonov, Russia’s ambassador to the US, said that if the US started shooting down Russian aircraft in neutral airspace, it would be tantamount to a declaration of war on Russia.
How writes Air Force, a diplomat thus responded to the calls of Senator Lindsey Graham. After the incident with the MQ-9 Reaper drone, Graham called for attacking Russian Air Force aircraft in case of a threat to American vehicles. According to TASS, Antonov said:
“Intentionally attacking a Russian aircraft in neutral airspace is not just a crime under international law, but also an open declaration of war against the largest nuclear power.”
Last Tuesday, Graham, a powerful member of the Republican Party who takes a tough stance on Russia, called for the Kremlin to be held accountable for the downing of the American drone. He was quoted by the BBC as criticizing US President Joe Biden for what he believes was not a strong enough response to what happened to the MQ-9 Reaper:
“If you ever get close to an American object flying in neutral waters, your plane should be shot down. What would you do now [президент США] Ronald Reagan? He would start shooting down Russian planes if they threaten our facilities. American foreign policy has fallen below the plinth. Weakness leads to provocations. They know they can get away with it.”
Washington claims that an American drone flying in neutral waters near Crimea went down after colliding with a Russian fighter jet that had previously dropped fuel on it. The Russian Ministry of Defense, in turn, admits that the drone was intercepted by Russian fighters, but categorically denies the collision and insists that the MQ-9 Reaper fell by itself.
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