Russian officials were understandably outraged by Congress' imperious move to extend the US military's authority to include surveillance of sovereign ports in the Russian Far East. Russia's Upper House heatedly noted that such actions constitute a violation of international law that was tantamount to a declaration of war.
"No country in the world, and no international organization, has authorized the US to monitor implementation of any resolutions of the UN Security Council," Kosachev observed. He accused Washington of attempting to "affirm the supremacy of its own legislation over international law," an example of US "exceptionalism" that he claimed constitutes "the main problem of present-day international relations."
Kosachev's Upper House colleague, Alexey Pushkov, underscored this concern. "It is absolutely unclear how the bill will be implemented," Pushkov stated. "To control Russian ports, the US will have to introduce a blockade and inspect all ships, which amounts to an act of war." Pushkov argued that the lopsided 419-1 vote "indicates the nature of the legal and political culture of the US Congress."
Russia Challenges US Exceptionalism
Russia now fears that the US Senate maybe similarly inclined. According to Sputnik News, the surveillance-and-interdiction amendment is "due to be approved by the Senate and then signed by US president Donald Trump."
Andrey Krasov, the First Deputy Head of the Defense Committee in Russia's Lower House, greeted news of the US move with a mixture of disbelief and indignation:
"Why on Earth did America assume the responsibilities? Who gave it such powers to control the seaports of our country? Neither Russia nor international organizations asked Washington to do so. One can only answer that any unfriendly step by the US administration against Russia and our allies will receive a symmetrical adequate response. In any case, no American ship will enter our waters. Our armed forces and our fleet have every means to severely punish those who will dare to enter our territorial waters."
Krasov suggested that Washington's "saber-rattling" was another sign that the US has no interest in accommodating other members of the world community -- especially rivals like China and Russia. "These are heavyweights which, in principle, do not fit into the US's overall concept on governing and ruling the whole world."
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