Exclusive: U.S. asks Vietnam to stop helping Russian bomber flights - Yahoo News
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The United States has asked Vietnam to stop letting Russia use a former U.S. base to refuel nuclear-capable bombers engaged in shows of strength over the Asia-Pacific region, exposing strains in Washington’s steadily warming relations with Hanoi.
The request, described to Reuters by a State Department official, comes as U.S. officials say Russian bombers have stepped up flights in a region already rife with tensions between China, U.S.-ally Japan and Southeast Asian nations.
General Vincent Brooks, commander of the U.S. Army in the Pacific, told Reuters the planes had conducted “provocative” flights, including around the U.S. Pacific Ocean territory of Guam, home to a major American air base.
It is the first time that U.S. officials have confirmed the role of #Cam_Ranh Bay, a natural deep-water harbor, in Russian bomber plane activity that has increased globally.