Toughen up: Senator Lindsey Graham calls on Biden to shoot down Putin’s warplanes if they ‘get close to US assets in international waters again’
Senator Lindsey Graham called on Biden to “hold Russia accountable” for shooting down a US drone and threatened to shoot Putin’s warplanes if they approached US assets even over international waters.
South Carolina GOP Sen. Graham said the United States should shoot down Russian warplanes that approach a US asset in the airways over international waters after two pilots of Russian fighter jets forced an unnamed American aerial vehicle (UAV) over the Black Sea yesterday March 14.
Military officials say the Russian pilots repeatedly dumped fuel on the drone and flew past it in a “reckless” and “unprofessional” manner before a collision caused the US drone to crash.
The senator told Fox News host Sean Hannity that the United States should hold Russia accountable and warned the Kremlin: “If you ever come near another U.S. asset flying in international waters, your plane will be shot down.
He criticized the Biden administration and said the president was acting like “a deer in the headlights” in the face of foreign threats like Russia.
South Carolina GOP Sen. Graham (pictured) says the US should shoot down Russian warplanes that approach a US asset in the airways over international waters
It comes after two Russian fighter jet pilots forced an unnamed US aerial vehicle (UAV, like the one pictured above) over the Black Sea yesterday March 14.
He said weakness creates provocation and that Russia knew it would get away with shooting down the drone because other presidents like Reagan would have already started shooting down Russian planes if they threatened US assets.
Fox News host Mr Hannity suggested Putin may have been watching Biden’s reaction as a Chinese spy balloon flew over the continental United States and was only shot down after a week.
Senator Graham also compared the president to comedian Rodney Dangerfield, who was famous for leading his jokes with the line “I don’t get any respect” because he said “no one” respects the president either.
He warned that if Biden didn’t change his game plan, there would be World War III.
The Russian ambassador has now accused the United States of an “act of provocation” and claims his fighter failed to hit a US drone that crashed into the Black Sea on Tuesday.
“We consider this incident a provocation,” said Anatoly Antonov, Russian Ambassador to the United States.
According to US officials, the MQ-9 Reaper drone was intercepted by two Russian Su-27 jet planes which dumped fuel on the drone before cutting off its propeller, causing it to crash.
The senator told Fox News host Seam Hannity that the United States should hold Russia accountable and warned the Kremlin: “If you ever come near another U.S. asset flying in international waters, your plane will be shot down”
He made the comments after being summoned by the US State Department to answer for the downing of one of its surveillance drones in international airspace.
“What would be the reaction of the United States if you see such a Russian drone very close, for example, to San Francisco or New York? Antonov asked reporters as he left the department building in Washington. “For me it is clear, for you too.
The US surveillance drone crashed into the sea after two Russian Su-27 jets ambushed it, dumped fuel on it and eventually hit its propeller, the Pentagon said.
Russia denied any contact and said the drone crashed after “sudden maneuvers”. Its Ministry of Defense claimed the drone was flying towards its airspace with its transponder turned off, and Russian fighters were sent to investigate.
