White House on Russia's development of anti-satellite weapons: May threaten logistics and communications
White House National Security Council Coordinator John Kirby (photo: Getty Images)
The administration of the President of the U.S. has commented on information regarding Russia's development of anti-satellite weapons. The White House noted that such weapons currently do not pose an immediate threat, states White House National Security Council Coordinator John Kirby.
"I want to be clear about a couple of things right off the bat. First, this is not an active capability that’s been deployed. And though Russia’s pursuit of this particular capability is troubling, there is no immediate threat to anyone’s safety," said the U.S. official.
According to him, this is not about weapons that can be used to attack people or cause physical destruction here on Earth.
"We’ve been closely monitoring this Russian activity and we will continue to take it very seriously," Kirby added.
The White House representative declined to comment on media reports suggesting that Russia may be planning to send nuclear weapons into orbit.
Meanwhile, the official clarified only that such weapons pose a threat to communication and logistics for all of humanity. Kirby also added that considering the presence of American astronauts in orbit, they too could be at risk due to anti-satellite actions.
What preceded this
On February 14, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Mike Turner, warned of a serious threat to U.S. national security, stating that, according to intelligence, Russia plans to deploy nuclear weapons in space. This information was later confirmed by Jake Sullivan, an advisor to the U.S. President on national security matters.
Earlier, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that the Alliance constantly monitors all potential tests in all areas and exchanges data among all allies.
It's worth noting that, according to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the mentioned threat is potential, not active capability.
President Joe Biden has instructed his administration to engage in negotiations with Russia regarding the possible testing of nuclear weapons in space.
