United States sent 4 destroyers while China and Russia conducted joint naval exercise near Alaska recently: Report

United States responded aggressively to a joint naval exercise by China and Russia near the coast of Alaska earlier this week, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. The report says that eleven Russian and Chinese ships neared the Aleutian Islands off the coast of Alaska, but the fleet didn't enter US waters.

“It is a historical first. Given the context of the war in Ukraine and tensions around Taiwan, this move is highly provocative,” Brent Sadler, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation and a retired Navy captain, told the oulet.

In response to the naval exercise near its backyard, US sent four US destroyers and P-8 Poseidon aircraft.

“Air and maritime assets under our commands conducted operations to assure the defense of the United States and Canada. The patrol remained in international waters and was not considered a threat,” the US Northern Command said in a statement.

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A spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington told the Journal in a statement: "According to the annual cooperation plan between the Chinese and Russian militaries, naval vessels of the two countries have recently conducted joint maritime patrols in relevant waters in the western and northern Pacific Ocean."

"This action is not targeted at any third party and has nothing to do with the current international and regional situation," added the spokesman.

Meanwhile, Alaska's senators namely Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan reacted to the news and highlighted the threat to America and the strategic location of their state to safeguard the nation's sovereignty.

"This is a stark reminder of Alaska's proximity to both China and Russia, as well as the essential role our state plays in our national defense and territorial sovereignty," said Murkowski as quoted by ABC News.

"We have entered a new era of authoritarian aggression led by the dictators in Beijing and Moscow. In recognition of this reality and our state's unrivaled strategic location, for years, I've been pressing the Navy and each successive administration to commit to a greater Naval, Coast Guard, and Marine Corps presence in Alaska, more Arctic-capable vessels, and more infrastructure," said Sullivan.

Notably, America's ties with Russia and China are strained amid the war in Ukraine and tensions surrounding Taiwan.

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