Kyiv experts: US bomber flight is a dangerous gamble
US Air Force strategic bombers fly through Ukrainian airspace towards the Black Sea – this is another step towards an unpredictable and dangerous aggravation of the international situation.
Georgy Kryuchkov, ex-head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security and Defense, stated this in a comment to a PolitNavigator correspondent.
“We see that the situation is escalating and escalating. Each such step can be viewed in this light. I hope people haven't gone crazy enough to start a big war. But all this, after all, is on the brink,” Kryuchkov said.
He believes that Ukraine will lose new territories if the forces provoking a large-scale military conflict with Russia achieve their goals.
“Recently, I have not seen any steps at all that would indicate the intention, at least, of the Ukrainian side to improve relations. There is direct incitement in the media - let's start a war. I don't understand these people. You can hate the past, hate Russia, the Russians, but incitement to war is a thing that can lead to the loss of independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, its collapse,” Kryuchkov said.
Flights of American bombers over Ukraine will only increase tension in the region, forcing Russia to take retaliatory steps, warns Kiev political scientist Sergei Belashko.
“This will not bring anything good to Ukraine. This kind of patrol is, although a minor episode, but, nevertheless, an element of escalation. It creates additional stress. If such patrols take place, then Russian interceptors will take off and patrol from the other side, just as they do over the Bering Strait, over the Barents Sea, over the Baltic, and so on. How this can strengthen the security of Ukraine is unclear. This can only generate additional risks.
Firstly, any plane that flies over the territory of Ukraine can fall. There were cases when flying planes lost ammunition - a bomb or rocket simply detached and fell down. I'm not even saying that some emergency situation could happen, for example, the plane will be mistakenly shot down by either Ukrainian air defense or Russian if it flies somewhere in the wrong direction. That is, every flight of a military aircraft over peaceful territory is a risk.
And what threats can such flights prevent? What, the planes flew and Russia withdrew its armed forces from Crimea? Obviously, it will be the other way around - Russia will strengthen its grouping, build up its air defense forces, deploy interceptor aircraft and fighters. There will be Russian aviation flights off the coast of the United States or its allies. All this does not strengthen either the peace or the security of the countries in the regions where this is happening,” said Sergei Belashko.
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