A top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee says the interception of two Russian bombers by U.S. stealth fighters Tuesday is a “rejuvenation of the Cold War.”
“I hate to admit it, I hate to say it, but it’s almost a rejuvenation of the Cold War,” Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., told CNN.
Kinzinger said the actions by Russia were a show of force but that unlike the Cold War, Russia is not equally matched in its weapons capabilities.
“This is the Russians trying to show their teeth. I think the thing that Americans need to keep in mind is, look, Russia is an adversary. We need to be very concerned about them and pushing them back in areas,” Kinzinger said.
The Illinois Republican believes this was a deliberate provocation on the part of Russia and was intended to cause a reaction. But Kinzinger fears that the provocations could go too far.
“What I worry about is somebody somewhere, a pilot on their side is going to make a mistake, get too close and we’ll end up with a bit of a shooting conflict which we do not want,” Kinzinger said.
