Kremlin dismisses US warning about Russian nuclear capability in space

The Kremlin dismissed on Thursday a warning by the United States about Moscow's new nuclear capabilities in space, calling it a "malicious fabrication" and a trick by the White House aimed at getting U.S. lawmakers to approve more money to counter Russia.

The Kremlin dismissed on Thursday a warning by the United States about Moscow's new nuclear capabilities in space, calling it a "malicious fabrication" and a trick by the White House aimed at getting U.S. lawmakers to approve more money to counter Russia. The United States has told Congress and allies in Europe about new intelligence related to Russian nuclear capabilities that could pose an international threat, a source briefed on the matter told Reuters on Wednesday.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he would not comment on the substance of the reports until the details were unveiled by the White House. But he said Washington's warning was clearly an attempt to get Congress to approve more money. "It is obvious that the White House is trying, by hook or by crook, to encourage Congress to vote on a bill to allocate money; this is obvious," he told reporters.

"We'll see what tricks the White House will use." Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, Moscow's point man on arms control, accused the United States of "malicious fabrication", TASS reported.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters during a visit to Tirana, Albania, on Thursday that Washington was talking with allies and partners about the issue. "This is not an active capability, but it is a potential one that we're taking very, very seriously. And I would expect that we'll have more to say soon, in fact very soon, so stay tuned for that," he said.

Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine has triggered the biggest confrontation between the West and Russia since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Both Moscow and Washington have warned of the risk of a conflict between NATO and Russia. Russia and the United States are the biggest nuclear powers, together holding about 90% of the world's nuclear weapons. They also both have advanced military satellites orbiting the Earth.

SPACE NUKES? White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters that Russia is developing a space-based, anti-satellite capability that has not yet been deployed. He said U.S. President Joe Biden has requested direct diplomatic engagement with Moscow about it.

The nuclear component of what was being developed was not explained, but analysts said that it is more likely to be a nuclear-powered device to blind, jam or fry the electronics inside satellites than an explosive nuclear warhead to shoot them down. Threatening satellites could cause all sorts of mischief: undermining communications, surveillance, intelligence and command and control around the world, including in the nuclear sphere.

Experts said the United States does not have the capability to counter such a weapon. The threat came to light after U.S. Representative Mike Turner, chairman of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, issued an unusual cryptic statement warning of the threat. On Thursday, another Republican House member, Representative Andy Ogles, urged House Speaker Mike Johnson to investigate whether Turner's action would affect national security.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan briefed congressional leaders about the threat on Thursday. The United States sees Russia and China as its biggest nation-state competitors, and says both are developing a range of new weapons systems, including nuclear, cyber and space capabilities.

Kirby said the United States has had knowledge of the Russian capability for some time. Russia says the post-Cold War dominance of the United States is crumbling and that Washington has for years sown chaos across the planet while ignoring the interests of other powers. Moscow says the United States too is developing a host of new weapons.

In the early years of the Cold War, after Russia leaped ahead in the space race and both sides developed intercontinental ballistic missiles, the West proposed a treaty to outlaw nuclear weapons in space. The eventual result was the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which bans putting any weapons of mass destruction into orbit or into outer space.

In recent years, disagreements between Moscow and Washington have eroded the framework of arms control treaties that sought to reduce the risk of nuclear war between them.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)