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In another show of increasing aggression, a Russian SU-35 flew very close to an American surveillance plane on Wednesday. During a mission in international airspace above the Mediterranean, the Russian plane flew within 25 feet of the American U.S. P-8A Poseidon spy craft. The Russian plane passed over the American plane in an inverted maneuver, putting the crew of both vessels at risk.
“While the Russian aircraft was operating in international airspace, this interaction was irresponsible,” reads a US statement on the incident. “We expect them to behave within international standards set to ensure safety and to prevent incidents.” Talk about a lack of cloud services security, only with actual clouds!
In recent years, Russia has been showing aggressive behavior that suggests a more antagonistic stance. Their invasion of the country of Georgia in 2008, as well as their aggressive actions in Ukraine since 2014, have made them a concern to NATO. Even in 2020, Russian activities in the Crimean Peninsula have raised eyebrows in the global community.
On paper, Russia is an ally of the US. In practice, the nation has proved to be deceitful at best and hostile at worst. In 2016, Russian intelligence agents used data breaches to help change the outcome of the US election between Trump and Hillary. Since then, pundits have accused US president Donald Trump of being uncomfortably friendly with Russian dictator and strongman Vladimir Putin.
As tensions between Russia and the West build, NATO and Russia are showing off their forces. Russia has been doing exercises over the Arctic Circle, a remote and icy part of the world. The Arctic Circle is technically under no country’s rule, but it is protected by a group of NATO members, including the US, Germany, France, Norway, Denmark and others.
In recent weeks, NATO coalitions have been engaging in “war games” over the Arctic Circle. These mock battles are used for training. While the measures are meant to keep soldiers sharp, there is a hidden meaning to them. Russian intelligence knows this. These exercises are a show of force: “Look at all these fighter jets and battleships NATO can command.”
In the 20th Century, the long Cold War between the US and Russia threatened to boil over numerous times. The threat of global thermonuclear war kept both nations from ever escalating things too far, for fear of mutual assured destruction. Neither NATO nor the US wants to return to a world of tense, potentially world-ending conflict with Russia.
