Russian officials denied allegations emerging from the U.S. that the Kremlin is developing space-based nuclear weapons. Alarm raced through Washington this week as rumors swirled over a significant advantage taken by Moscow in the global balance of power.
Putin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Thursday declared the warnings were designed for political purposes by U.S. lawmakers.
He asserted, “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. We’ll see what tricks the White House will use.”
Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov called the allegations a “malicious fabrication.”
He said the Kremlin has seen the reports and that they are part of a trend ongoing for a decade. He accused Washington of making up tales and attributing unsavory actions to Moscow when it suits them.
Ryabknov added, “In working with them, we keep telling them that groundless allegations of any kind will get no reaction from us. If they make some claims, they should at least provide evidence.”
BREAKING: Two senior DOD officials just threw COLD WATER on the notion that America can’t stop Russia from deploying nuclear weapons in space 👇 pic.twitter.com/pM8PpRmIXG
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) February 15, 2024
Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) is the chairman of the powerful House Intelligence Committee. Earlier this week he sent shockwaves through the Capitol when he urged President Joe Biden to declassify information he said constituted a “serious national security threat.”
It was not long before all signs pointed toward allegations of Russia’s development of space-based nuclear capabilities to target satellites in orbit. Sources asserted that such a program, if it exists, is not currently capable of being deployed.
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby eventually confirmed Turner’s statement concerned “anti-satellite capability that Russia is developing.”
But even the threat of such capabilities could be enough to launch a new arms race.
Dr. Rebecca Grant is the president of IRIS Independent Research. She told the New York Post that the financial costs of such an event could be staggering. “We’re talking trillions of dollars worth of economic damage in the worst case.”
Grant noted that the U.S. economy “is completely dependent on space for the navigation and precision timing signals that guide everything from your iPhone when you drive to your banking transaction.”
