Airspace Breaches, Possible NATO Destabilization: Latest On Russia-Ukraine War Ahead Of US Election

The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, with new developments in Europe and the U.S., could face a major inflection point hinging on the outcome of the 2024 U.S. election.

The Latest: A Russian drone attack on Ukraine overnight put neighboring Romania in the crossfire, according to a Telegram post from the Ukrainian Air Force.

Russia launched 38 kamikaze drones at Ukraine, three of which strayed into Romanian airspace. Romanian Foreign Minister Luminiţa Odobescu said that debris was found in Romania.

Stateside, Russian and Chinese bombers were intercepted by the U.S. flying over Alaska on Wednesday. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) detected and intercepted two Russian TU-95 and two PRC H-6 military aircraft operating in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone. NORAD did not label the breach as a threat, though it said it will continue to monitor activity in the airspace.

Meanwhile, the closely-watched U.S. presidential election saw a major shake-up on Sunday as the presumptive Democratic nominee, President Joe Biden, dropped out of the race against Republican Donald Trump.

Vice President Kamala Harris will likely be Biden’s replacement.

So far, preliminary polling results vary: Harris leads Trump in a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll, but trails him in others.

Why it Matters: Biden’s comments toward the Russia-Ukraine conflict have favored NATO and Ukraine, while Trump has made comments preempting a destabilization of NATO.

Trump has previously made favorable remarks about Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin, labeled by many as a dictator, has presided over Russia as many of his political rivals have been found dead under mysterious circumstances. Russia has previously attempted to interfere in U.S. elections.

A Trump presidency would likely be partial to Russia. Trump has said that he could end the conflict in one day, but such a resolution would likely mean Ukraine ceding land to Russia. Critics of such a plan compare it, unfavorably, to British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain‘s policy of appeasement against Nazi Germany in the late 1930s.

A March 60 Minutes report found that Russia could be behind the mysterious “Havana Syndrome” attacks on Americans in the continental U.S. and abroad.

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