A deliberate attack on a Russian plane in neutral airspace would be an open declaration of war against the nuclear power, Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov said on Wednesday.
"The calls of some lawmakers go far beyond common sense," the diplomat said, commenting on US Senator Lindsey Graham’s (from South Karolina) threats to shoot down Russian planes approaching US aircraft in international airspace.
"The Russian defense ministry has explained in detail the reasons and course of actions of Russian pilots during yesterday's incident over the Black Sea. I repeat for those who have not found the strength to look at the situation objectively: our fighters did not make contact with the American UAV," Antonov added, commenting on the March 14 loss of the American MQ-9 drone. - "Russia did everything possible to prevent such incidents - it informed the international community in advance about the boundaries of the temporary airspace regime established for the special military operation".
"Of course, it is a shame for the Pentagon to lose expensive equipment. But in this case, the US military should redirect accusations of unprofessional actions back to themselves," the diplomat pointed out.
Attempts to provoke an escalation
"As for the aforementioned senator, this is by no means the first attempt by the notorious lawmaker to provoke a dangerous escalation in the US-Russian relations. A year ago he urged our citizens to make an assassination attempt on the president of Russia. Does the senator really believe that a direct military clash with Russia is in the interests of the voters who entrusted him with their lives and livelihood?" the ambassador added.
"A deliberate attack on a Russian aircraft in neutral airspace is not just a crime under international law, but an open declaration of war against the largest nuclear power," Antonov warned. - "An armed conflict between Russia and the US would be radically different from the proxy war the Americans are waging remotely against us in Ukraine. Is the Capitol ready to put American citizens and the international community at risk of a full-scale nuclear war? Give us an answer, distinguished Senator!"
According to Antonov, "It is not the Russian pilots who should be questioned, but American politicians who are inciting to start an apocalyptic conflict." "We do not seek a conflict with a nuclear power. We continue to maintain contacts, including through the defense ministry, to prevent unintentional conflicts. I wish American politicians had the same attitude toward relations with Russia," the ambassador emphasized.
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Photo: Sergey Bobylev / TASS
Based on materials from TASS