Russia conducts major military exercises near Hawaii — largest since Cold War — ahead of Biden's meeting with Putin



In an obvious show of force, the Russian military conducted massive naval military exercises just a few hundred miles from Hawaii hours before President Joe Biden was scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The exercises — which Russian officials reportedly touted as the largest since the end of the Cold War — took place about 300 to 500 miles west of Hawaii and included surface ships, anti-submarine aircraft, and long-range bombers, CBS News reported.

News of the "irregular air patrol" reportedly sent U.S. defense officials into a frenzy, as they "scrambled" F-22s from Hawaii to respond to the Russian bomber flights.

The Russian bombers reportedly were not intercepted as they did not enter the Air Defense Identification Zone, but they came close.

Defense officials noted that a U.S. carrier strike group was also operating about 200 miles east of Hawaii. That exercise was planned beforehand but was moved closer to Hawaii in response to the Russian exercise.

U.S. Indo-Pacific Command spokesman Capt. Mike Kafka said in a statement that the U.S. military is "monitoring the Russian vessels operating in international waters in the Western Pacific."

"We operate in accordance with international law of the sea and in the air to ensure that all nations can do the same without fear or contest and in order to secure a free and open Indo-Pacific. As Russia operates within the region, it is expected to do so in accordance with international law," he added.

A short video of the exercise produced by Russia's ministry of defense was obtained the New York Post.

The exercises came directly alongside a highly anticipated meeting between Biden and Putin in Geneva, Switzerland, on Wednesday, in which both sides were hoping to "project strength" on the world stage, the Wall Street Journal reported.

While Biden may have been hoping to project strength through words, Putin was clearly hoping to project his country's strength through a showcase of military prowess.

"It's about making myself very clear what the conditions are to get a better relationship with Russia," Biden told reporters after the G7 summit in Cornwall, England, over the weekend. "We're not looking for conflict — we are looking to resolve those actions which we think are inconsistent with international norms."

Biden, despite previously characterizing Putin as "a killer," this week called him "bright," "tough," and a "worthy adversary."

When asked about the military exercises following the summit, Putin dismissed U.S. concerns, saying they have "no basis."

He claimed that Russia was not attempting "anything new" in the Arctic; rather, his country was "restoring the destroyed infrastructure" in the region.

Mike Pompeo: Biden MUST hold Putin accountable for cyberattacks, 'This is an attack on America'



President Joe Biden and world leaders are spending the week discussing the biggest issues across the globe. But Mike Pompeo, former Secretary of State during the Trump administration, believes more needs to be done.

Pompeo joined the "Glenn Beck Radio Program" Tuesday to talk about President Biden's upcoming meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin, and to explain why he believes it's not just "appropriate," but necessary to hold Putin accountable for the recent cyberattacks on the Colonial Pipeline and the JBS meat processing company.

Pompeo said it's likely that "at the very least" Putin turned a blind eye to the major attacks against U.S. infrastructure. He stressed that the Biden administration should not abandon private businesses in the face of these ransomware hacks, but rather do everything possible to make sure those businesses' assets are secure from future invasions.

"This is an attack on America," Pompeo said. "It came through an attack on a commercial enterprise, but the capacity for pipelines to move product around on our east coast is an American national security interest.... We have to help these businesses protect their systems, and then there has to be a national effort to impose costs on those who put American lives at risk by denying available product around our country.

"Putin, at the very least, is turning a blind eye to [the cyberattacks], probably more. So, it's appropriate to hold Vladimir Putin and the Russians accountable for the actions taking place inside of their country," he added. "We have to do it, and there are tools by which we can."

Watch the video below to catch more of the conversation:


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