Russian jets intercept US aircraft as fears rise over Mediterranean feuds
The US military has accused two Russian pilots of performing “unsafe and unprofessional” manoeuvres in the Eastern Mediterranean after they intercepted a US surveillance aircraft in the region.
The US Navy’s 6th Fleet said two Russian SU-35 jets flew alongside an American P-8A aircraft for more than an hour on Tuesday.
It was the third such incident involving Russian and US aircraft flying over the Mediterranean.
“The intercept was determined to be unsafe and unprofessional due to the Russian pilots taking close station on each wing of the P-8A simultaneously, restricting the P-8A’s ability to safely manoeuvre,” the US military said.
“The unnecessary actions of the Russian SU-35 pilots were inconsistent with good airmanship and international flight rules and jeopardised the safety of flight of both aircraft.”
Tension was already high in the region, with regional and international powers drawn into a decades-old dispute between Greece and Turkey over Cyprus.
The feud has been exacerbated by competition over natural gas reserves in the region.
“In the Eastern Mediterranean, a scramble is under way between countries in the region for access to recently discovered gasfields,” the European Council on Foreign Relations said in a paper on the standoff.
“Conflicting legal claims to the fields are merging with old and new conflicts and have led to the creation of a new geopolitical front in the Eastern Mediterranean that should cause Europeans substantial concern.”
This month, UAE officials met representatives from Egypt, France, Greece and Cyprus to discuss Turkish attempts to drill for gas in Cyprus’s territorial waters.
Turkey has claimed control over areas of the Mediterranean around Cyprus, extending towards Libya, after Ankara struck a deal with the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord last year.
It granted Ankara access to those waters in exchange for military aid.
The UAE, Egypt, France, Greece and Cyprus condemned Turkey’s “illegal activities” and expansionism in pursuing natural gas in Cyprus’s exclusive economic zone.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Anwar Gargash emphasised the importance of upholding international law in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Thanos Dokos, Greece’s Deputy National Security Adviser, said Europe’s lack of meaningful engagement in Libya and Syria would continue to be detrimental to the region.
“We have been absent from Syria despite the fact that Europe has been paying a heavy price in terms of refugee and migrant flows,” he said yesterday.
“We have only a limited role in Libya, so unless we start trying seriously to shape our neighbourhood and stabilise those countries then we will continue to pay a heavy price.”
In February, France sent its Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier to block Turkish naval vessels near the Mediterranean gas fields.
“The fact that Nato allies are staring each other down on the European Union’s doorstep should cause all Europeans to pay greater attention to the region,” the ECFR said.
The interception of the US aircraft on Tuesday came during a mounting war of words between Washington and Moscow over Libya.
After a flurry of diplomatic activity from US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in relation to Libya in recent weeks, the US has accused Russia of sending military support to the North African country, backing factions led by Field Marshal Khalifa
Haftar, commander of the Libyan National Army.
Moscow has routinely dismissed US accusations of Russian involvement in the Libyan conflict as “fake”.
On Tuesday, Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman seemed to issue a warning to Ankara and Moscow over an escalation of violence in Libya.
He called on all parties to deliver peace to the country.
“We call on all parties operating in Libya, the Russians and the Turks and others, to cease their behaviour there. We want a secure and stable Libya,” Mr Hoffman said.
“We believe our mission there supports diplomatic and counter-terrorism efforts, enhancing the partnership.
“We would ask that others consider similar activities to give the Libyan people the safety and security they deserve.”
The UAE, Egypt, France, Greece and Cyprus have condemned Turkey for drilling for gas in Cyprus’s exclusive economic zone