China News Service, November 27 (Liu Danyi) Recently, Russia announced the expulsion of a US warship that entered Russian territorial waters in the Gulf of Peter the Great.

From the air, sea to the ground, since 2020, the United States and Russia have conducted mutual reconnaissance and probing activities more frequently.

The military confrontation between the United States and Russia has become the norm. Will the conflict escalate as a result, or even a substantial fire accident?

Data map: On May 26, 2020 local time, one of the two Russian Su-35 fighter jets flew with the U.S. Navy's P-8A anti-submarine Poseidon patrol aircraft.

US ships annoy Russia

Russia warns against the use of "collision methods"

　　The USS "Donald Cook" guided-missile destroyer with a displacement of more than 8,400 tons has been cruising frequently in the Black Sea for a long time.

Six years ago, the United States sent this destroyer to the Black Sea region in the name of "supporting NATO allies."

　　In 2016, the "Donald Cook" sailed over a hundred kilometers away from Kaliningrad, Russia. In order to warn, two Russian Su-24 fighters flew over the destroyer’s head 20 times, only 9 meters away from its nearest time. , The two sides were at war.

　　Today, the situation seems to have escalated further.

On November 23, 2020, the US destroyer "Donald Cook" entered the Black Sea waters.

The reason for the US side is to "ensure maritime security" and its destroyer operation is part of NATO's "Atlantic Determination" operation.

The Russian Black Sea Fleet monitors its movements.

　　Only one day later, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that the USS "John S. McCain" destroyer broke into Russian territorial waters "two kilometers" in the waters of Peter the Great Bay in the Russian Far East.

Thereafter, it was intercepted by the Russian anti-submarine destroyer "Admiral Vinogradov", which had been under surveillance.

　　The Russian ship severely warned that it "may use a collision maneuver" to drive the US ship out of its territorial waters.

The US ship "immediately" changed its course and headed for the high seas without any further attempts to enter Russian territorial waters.

Data map: US Navy destroyer.

　　These two incidents were interpreted by the British media as a sign of the potential escalation of the Russian-US maritime conflict.

The media is worried that this is a spark collision between the two major military powers of Russia and the United States, and a precursor to further conflict.

　　Sputnik News Agency pointed out that US warships often break into the territorial waters of Russia and other countries in the name of promoting "free navigation."

Brush presence and pressure Russia

The U.S. military aircraft also "cannot be idle"

　　Although Russia has always firmly opposed it, NATO aircraft headed by the United States often arrive near the Russian border for reconnaissance activities.

Zhang Hong, a researcher at the Institute of Russian, Eastern Europe and Central Asia of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said in an interview with a reporter from Chinanews.com that the move was firstly because the United States wanted to gain a sense of presence in Europe, and the other was to put pressure on Russia, especially the "New Strategic Weapons Reduction The Treaty will expire in February 2021. At a key point in the negotiations, the United States wants to exert diplomatic and military pressure on Russia.

　　Rutskoy, Director of the Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, said in September that the frequency of Russian fighter jets intercepting foreign military aircraft over the Black Sea has increased by 21% since 2020.

　　U.S. military planes have flown across the Russian border for many times, and this has undoubtedly become normal. This is also a manifestation of the persistent hostility between the United States and Russia.

In this regard, Li Haidong, a professor at the Institute of International Relations at the China Foreign Affairs University, told a reporter from Chinanews.com.

Data map: In August 2019, a NATO fighter plane approached the Russian Defense Minister Shoigu passenger plane, which was called identification.

　　Unlike previous reconnaissance aircraft or small and medium-sized warplanes sent by the US military, the number of bombers carrying missiles by the US military arriving near the Russian border will continue to increase in 2020.

　　Russian Defense Minister Shoigu pointed out in September that NATO, led by the United States, has not only increased the number of intrusions into Russian airspace, but has also normalized the "missile air strike simulation".

　　Li Haidong said that this is a direct indicator of the deterioration of Russia-US relations.

The conflicts and disputes between the two sides in the military field have been clearly and clearly demonstrated through the adjustment of military aircraft types.

The provocation at the door of the house cannot be tolerated

Russia strengthens patrol flights around the United States

　　Faced with the frequent "provocations" of the United States at "home", Russia's long-range air patrols near the United States have become more frequent.

　　According to U.S. media reports in June 2020, in a 2019 statement, the North American Air Defense Command stated that since Russia resumed similar patrol flights in 2007, the North American Air Defense Command intercepted an average of 6 to 7 batches into the air defense identification zone each year. Russian military aircraft.

However, Russia has now carried out so many flights within one month.

　　Li Haidong said that Russia will certainly "respite a spear for a spear" for US military actions, which is a prominent feature of its diplomacy.

For the Russian side, compromise means sacrificing major interests, so it is impossible to compromise.

Data map: On July 26, 2020 local time, military parades were held in many places in Russia to celebrate the Navy Day.

St. Petersburg, the seat of the Russian Navy Command, is the home ground of the naval parade.

46 ships and 41 helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft participated in the event.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Wang Xiujun

Russia and the United States "compete" through land, sea and air

"Sub-healthy" relations between the two countries will continue

　　In addition to aerial reconnaissance and interception operations, the military confrontation between Russia and the United States continued to the North Atlantic and the Middle East.

　　Since June 2020, under the leadership of the United States, NATO has organized three large-scale joint military exercises in the Atlantic Ocean and aimed at Russia.

For this reason, the Russian navy started construction of 6 large-tonnage, high-cost main battleships at the same time on the eve of the Naval Day in July, demonstrating its determination and strength to respond to NATO threats.

　　In August, US-Russian military vehicles collided in northeastern Syria. US media claimed that four US soldiers were injured.

White House National Security Council spokesperson Yuliott criticized Russia's behavior as "dangerous and unprofessional."

　　The Russian Defense Ministry's statement pointed out that US military personnel violated existing agreements and tried to block Russian patrols.

In response, the Russian military and police took the necessary measures to prevent accidents and continue to perform the established tasks.

Data map: On July 26, 2020 local time, military parades were held in many places in Russia to celebrate the Navy Day.

The picture shows the scene of the military parade in St. Petersburg.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Wang Xiujun

　　Although the military friction between the two sides has escalated, experts have observed that it is unlikely that the United States and Russia will misuse their guns and break out a substantial military conflict.

　　Li Haidong said that the United States and Russia have a very mature "rules of exchange" in the military field.

The contacts between the armed forces of the two sides, and between military aircraft and military aircraft are in a highly tense but controllable state.

　　He said that Russia-US relations have always been tense, and in most cases they are in a "sub-healthy" state.

Since the end of the Cold War, the period of good relations between the United States and Russia has been very brief, and most of the time has been mutual vigilance, mutual exclusion, and even mutual hostility.

However, the current tensions between the United States and Russia did not happen suddenly, but escalated due to a series of accumulated conflicts that could not be resolved in the early stage.

　　Regarding the future direction of bilateral relations, Zhang Hong predicted that it is unlikely that Russia-US relations will continue to deteriorate, but there is not much room for improvement.

Due to the structural contradictions in the Russian-US strategy, the two countries have different understandings of the global pattern, global relations, and global policies. The United States wants Russia to submit to a unipolar pattern centered on Western countries, but Russia wants the two sides to have relative independence. Equal and cooperative relations, diplomatic relations and military relations.

And this kind of relationship cannot be reached in the short term.

(Finish)