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Also, do you really think the Russians scramble their strategic bombers to Alaska because it is next to their borders? They don't do the same to China or North Korea.
DPRK does in fact have an overtly stated nuclear first strike policy.
Is there a point to this hypothetical besides trying to garner sympathy for Russia and their war?
"Patience" isn't an accurate characterization of what's happening here. Of course Russia would be delighted to shoot down those drones, or any manned reconnaissance aircraft in the area as well. They refrain from doing this because there would be unwelcome consequences, not because they're carefully observing some law or principle.
You can certainly tweak your strained hypothetical in such a way that the US would be bound by similar constraints. (that's not even difficult, it's just a matter of examining the hypothetical a little more closely - imagine how much would have gone wrong for the United States military in order for it to even be in a real war with Mexico) It's just a matter of hypotheticals like this not being very useful.
imagine how much would have gone wrong
That’s funny because just days ago some US congressmen have demanded (CW: euphemisms) the “authorization” of “military force” against “the cartels”: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/3/9/mexicos-president-sl...
Now, invading Mexico is still a remote prospect at this point, but if you think the US wouldn’t “defend their interests” there, you’d better read up on the Monroe Doctrine and 19th and 20th century history of the Americas.
Why do you think so?
The drone was not 24 miles from the Russian coast. It was 75 miles southwest of Crimea, which is the Ukranian coast. The Russian jets were very very far away from home, they weren't in any way protecting Russian airspace.
When Russians violate airspace (like they often do in Europe) or come dangerously close to doing so in the USA, they are intercepted by fighter jets and asked to leave. Dropping fuel on their planes and flying like an idiot and then lying about it is generally not part of the NATO response.
There are actual political scientists writing studies on Russian airspace violations.
What kinds of deception are up to the people who do this for a full time job. (If it was me I would send two of our drones, one to stand off a bit and record video, then the other drone would attempt to 'mate' the Russian drone midair.)
But that's just me.