Russian fighter jets in Syria have harassed American drones at least twice within 24 hours. Representative Cory Mills (R-FL) appeared on Fox News at Night to discuss, calling the U.S.'s lukewarm response "a stark reminder of the risks of a weakened stance on the world stage."
"The recent harassment of U.S. drones by Russia in Syria is a stark reminder of the risks of a weakened stance on the world stage. It's crucial for the Biden administration to demonstrate strength in dealing with adversaries like Russia, China, and Iran. Protecting our interests and ensuring global stability requires a resolute approach. Peace through strength deters war, while weakness invites adversarial aggression," tweeted Rep. Mills.
The recent harassment of U.S. drones by Russia in Syria is a stark reminder of the risks of a weakened stance on the world stage.
It's crucial for the Biden administration to demonstrate strength in dealing with adversaries like Russia, China, and Iran.
Protecting our… pic.twitter.com/C3J6F7SJuH
— Rep. Cory Mills 🇺🇸 (@RepMillsPress) July 7, 2023
Speaking after the incident, Lt. General Alex Grynkewich called on the Russians to "cease this reckless behavior and adhere to the standards of behavior expected of a professional air force so we can resume our focus on the enduring defeat of ISIS."
A similar incident occurred in March, where another Russian jet collided with an American MQ9 "Reaper" drone. The U.S. response, through Air Force General James Hecker, was similar to Lt. Gen. Grynkewich's, calling the collision "unsafe and unprofessional."
Rep. Mills referenced this incident in his Fox appearance when host Tracey Gallagher suggested the repeated harassment in the most recent case was "a pattern."
"Not only is it becoming a pattern, but we've seen, as was indicated earlier, that in March, we actually had a Russian fighter who struck one of our MQ9s, causing it to subsequently crash," said Mills.
However, he warned the harassment of Syrian drones is "a ramp-up" as Russia, like China and other national adversaries, are emboldened by the Biden Administration's actions, echoing Representative Brian Mast's (R-FL) "weakness invites aggression" comment he made in May.
"But we're seeing a ramp-up, and I've been talking about this for years, about the Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea geopolitical alignment. You're seeing a similar type of activity with the Chinese as well throughout the Taiwan Strait as well as the South China Sea when it comes to dangerous or unprofessional types of behavior when it comes to Naval vessels. And so they feel more emboldened and I feel like this is actually part of the "weakness invites aggression" response," Mills said.
