Following media reports about Russia’s alleged anti-satellite weapons, the White House has now commented. The weapons are not ready for use – and cannot cause direct destruction on Earth.
According to the White House, Russia is developing military capabilities for use against satellites in space. However, the weapon is not operational and cannot cause direct physical destruction on Earth, the US government said. But she still described the information as disturbing.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby referred to information from US intelligence agencies. US officials were analyzing the information they had about the new technology and had consulted with allies and partners on the matter.
US government: No imminent threat on Earth
However, the US government reassured: There is no immediate threat to anyone’s safety, said Kirby. “We are not talking about a weapon that can be used to attack people or cause physical destruction here on Earth.” When asked whether it was a nuclear weapon, a nuclear-powered weapon or a nuclear-capable weapon, Kirby said he could not go into more detail on the question.
The Republican leader of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, also assured journalists that there was no reason for “public alarm.”
Several US media outlets, including the New York Times and ABC and Fox News, had previously reported on Russia’s new nuclear ambitions in space. It is about new findings about Russian nuclear capabilities that are directed against satellites in space and could pose a threat to national and international security, it said.
Moscow denies such plans
The Russian government dismissed these reports as “malicious” and “unfounded.” Using such accusations, the US government wants to put pressure on the opposition Republicans in Congress to agree to the new billion-dollar aid package for Ukraine, it was said. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was “obvious” that it was a trick from the White House, according to the Tass news agency.
Sergei Ryabkov, the deputy foreign minister responsible for Russia’s nuclear policy, demanded that the USA provide evidence for the claims. It corresponds to “the trend of the past ten years that Americans develop malicious fantasies and attribute to us all sorts of (…) intentions that do not suit them,” Tass quoted Ryabkov as saying.
Nuclear weapons banned in space
The international outer space treaty, which both Russia and the USA have signed, prohibits the stationing of nuclear weapons in space. It is currently assumed that there are no nuclear weapons in space. However, this is not entirely clear, as some space missions are quite opaque.
NATO is preparing
However, in order to be able to respond better to attacks against satellites, NATO had already decided in 2021 that attacks from or in space could in future be treated as an alliance case under Article 5 on collective defense – in the same way as attacks on the ground or in the air were previously treated. Sea or cyberspace.
The step was justified, among other things, by the fact that attacks on satellites could be used in the event of a war to paralyze parts of public life. For example, the processing of cashless payment transactions, mobile phone networks or navigation systems for road, sea and air transport could be severely affected.
Katrin Brand, ARD Washington, tagesschau, February 15, 2024 5:30 a.m