Russian jet collision prompts congressional calls for Black Sea policy
Mike Brest
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Two lawmakers are calling on the Biden administration to develop a strategy toward the Black Sea region, one day after a Russian fighter jet collided with a United States drone over the water.
Sens. Mitt Romney (R-UT) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) reintroduced their bipartisan legislation on Wednesday, which is aimed to “prevent the spread of further armed conflict in Europe by recognizing the Black Sea region as an arena of Russian aggression,” per the text of the bill.
RUSSIAN AIRCRAFT COLLIDES WITH UNMANNED US DRONE OVER THE BLACK SEA
“As Vladimir Putin wages war in Ukraine, he has already proven his ambitions to extend Russia’s malign influence to the Black Sea region,” Shaheen, chairwoman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation, said. “I’ve met with our partners in the region, and they echo the importance of developing a U.S. strategy toward the Black Sea so we can strengthen our alliances and enhance economic relations that are pivotal to staving off an increasingly belligerent Putin. As the U.S. continues to aid our Ukrainian partners on the frontlines, we need to look ahead and make investments in vulnerable areas where Russia is actively sowing discord and hoping to turn to next.”
Two Russian Su-27 aircraft dumped fuel on and in front of a U.S. Air Force MQ-9 unmanned aircraft several times on Tuesday morning before one of them flew into its propeller over the Black Sea, about 75 miles southwest of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, according to defense officials.
The U.S. was forced to “essentially crash it into” the water, according to Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, and it’s unclear whether they will be able to recover it. It’s the first time a collision like this occurred, though it’s not uncommon for Russian pilots to fly around U.S. drones.
Following the crash, the U.S. summoned Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov, “and the message was, don’t do this again,” according to National Security Council coordinator John Kirby, though Antonov publicly rebuked the allegation. U.S. ambassador to Russia, Lynne Tracy, conveyed a similar “strong message” to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, State Department spokesman Ned Price said.
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“Russia’s recent provocation against a U.S. drone in the Black Sea underscores the need for a revamped strategy in the Black Sea region. We cannot leave it up to Putin—who chose to invade Ukraine and pursue other forms of aggression in the region—to define the rules of the Black Sea. It’s critical that the Biden administration develops a robust Black Sea strategy to strengthen the coordination between the U.S., NATO, and our Black Sea partners,” Romney said.
Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and John Cornyn (R-TX) are original co-sponsors of the legislation.