(CNN) Amid rising tensions between the United States and Russia, the former CIA and National Security Agency director under President George W. Bush said Wednesday night that Moscow would be at a disadvantage if a war scenario were to develop.

"No one wants to go to war with the Russians, but let me double down on another concept. The Russians really don't want to go to war with us," retired Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden said during an interview on CNN's "Erin Burnett OutFront."

"They are by far the weaker power," Hayden said.

.@GenMhayden: "No one wants to go to war with the Russians, but the Russians REALLY don't want to go to war with us" https://t.co/Q4YqjNj9OQ — OutFrontCNN (@OutFrontCNN) April 19, 2017

He was critical of Russia after two of its bombers were spotted off the coast of Alaska twice in 24 hours. He called it "a little pathetic," but said it provided a "great opportunity for training for our Alaskan air forces."

Hayden, a frequent critic of Donald Trump during the presidential campaign, did praise the administration's decisions to launch military strikes on Syria and dropping America's most powerful non-nuclear bomb on ISIS targets in Afghanistan. He called the moves the right decisions and smart.

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