The Cold War is back on

“Good morning, American pilots, we are here to greet you on your Fourth of July Independence Day,” stated the crew of a Russian nuclear bomber that buzzed the U.S. 40 miles off the California coast on the Fourth of July.

That, according to some international watchers, is just the latest bit of evidence that the U.S. is headed quickly into a full-blown revival of Cold War relations with Russia.

Fox News reported earlier this month:

While the United States celebrated Independence Day, two pairs of Russian bombers flew off the coast of California and Alaska — forcing the Air Force to scramble fighter jets to intercept both flights, two senior defense officials tell Fox News.

The first incident occurred at 10:30 a.m. ET on July 4 off the coast of Alaska, Fox News is told. Two U.S. Air Force F-22 jets were scrambled from their base in Alaska to intercept two Tupolev Tu-95 long-range strategic bombers, capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

The second incident occurred at 11:00 a.m. ET also on July 4, off the central coast of California. Two F-15s from an undisclosed location were scrambled to intercept another pair of Tu-95 Bear bombers.

A spokesman for NORAD would not confirm if either pair of bombers was armed.

The provocative move came about the same time Russian President Vladimir Putin was phoning the White House to wish President Obama a happy Independence Day.

The recent flyby is one of a series of incidents in which Russian pilots have flown close to the U.S. since the West ramped up international pressure over the country’s actions in Ukraine.

During an interview this week on CNN’s “Situation Room,” Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), a former Air Force pilot, said that he and many of his congressional colleagues have taken the bomber runs as a sign that U.S./Russia relations could soon take a major turn for the worse.

“If you ever have any doubt whether the Cold War is back on, I mean these are the kind of maneuvers that show that it is,” Kinzinger said.

According to the lawmaker, Putin’s “biggest bully” mentality means that U.S. officials should “stand up now and make it very clear” that Russian provocations will not be tolerated.

Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford, who was recently picked by the president to serve as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also recently weighed in on current U.S. relations with Russia, saying that Americans should take threats from the country as seriously as global terrorism.

“Terrorism is a huge threat,” he said. “But the problem with Russia is it could take one wrong move.”

Putin, Dunford contends, “is testing ours and testing the West’s will” to stand up to Russian aggression.

A recent report on international nuclear developments, “Foreign Nuclear Developments: The Gathering Storm,” supports that view, noting that Russia has been gradually ramping up its military capabilities in unison with its increasingly provocative actions.

The report notes: “Russia is seeking to reinforce its great power status, establish influence and control along its periphery, and undermine Western influence and alliances. Its national security policy and military doctrine emphasize nuclear forces. Russia is engaged in an extensive and comprehensive nuclear modernization program, developing and deploying modern and more sophisticated nuclear weapons, and upgrading all elements of its strategic nuclear delivery systems.”

It later warns: “These developments suggest that Russia’s nuclear posture is evolving in ways diametrically opposite those of the United States and the United Kingdom. Aggressive Russian behavior, coupled with Russia’s brandishing of nuclear threats against the United States, the United Kingdom, their allies and friends, and simulated first use of nuclear weapons in many of its military exercises, are a cause of serious concern.”

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