2024-02-21 10:15:21
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that his country is against the deployment of nuclear weapons in space, and his defense minister categorically denied US claims that Russia is developing a nuclear capability for space, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
An unnamed source briefed on the matter told Reuters last week in the US that Washington had new intelligence related to Russia’s nuclear potential and attempts to develop space weapons.
“Our position is clear and transparent: we have always been categorically against and now we are against the deployment of nuclear weapons in space,” Putin told his defense minister, Sergei Shoigu.
“We insist not only on compliance with all agreements that exist in this area, but we have repeatedly proposed to strengthen this joint work,” Putin said.
He added that Russia’s activities in space are no different from those of other countries, including the United States.
US sources have suggested that Russia has some new potential in space, but with few details and no evidence.
The New York Times reported that US intelligence was linked to Russia’s attempts to develop a space-based anti-satellite nuclear weapon.
Commenting on the claim, Shoigu said there were no plans like those described by the unidentified US sources.
“First of all, there are no such projects – for nuclear weapons in space. Second, the US knows that such a thing does not exist,” Shoigu told Putin.
He accused the White House of trying to intimidate US lawmakers into giving more money to Ukraine as part of Washington’s plan to inflict a “strategic defeat” on Russia.