Russia is developing anti satellite weapon White House says February

Russia is developing anti satellite weapon, White House says February 15, 2024 at 11:41 p.m

John Kirby, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, February 15, 2024 in Washington (AFP / Jim WATSON)

Russia is developing an anti-satellite weapon, the White House said on Thursday, saying it was a “concerning” element but did not pose an “imminent threat.”

On Wednesday, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee caused anger in Washington by publicly asking his congressmen to investigate “information about a serious threat to national security” without providing further details.

American media assured that Russia intends to station a nuclear weapon in space against satellites.

The White House National Security Council spokesman lifted the veil on this mysterious matter on Thursday, confirming to journalists that it was “related to an anti-satellite capability developed by Russia.” However, he refused to specify whether it had a nuclear dimension or not.

It was not “used,” John Kirby clarified, adding: “While this activity by Russia is concerning, there is no immediate threat to anyone's safety.”

“We're not talking about a weapon that can attack people or cause destruction on Earth,” Kirby said.

But it could endanger astronauts traveling in low-Earth orbit or even damage military or civilian satellites, he said, assuring that the United States will “closely monitor the situation” and continue to take it “very seriously.”

President Joe Biden was informed of the threat and ordered officials to contact Moscow on the matter.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan also traveled to Congress on Thursday to deliver a briefing to a group of eight elected officials with access to America's most sensitive intelligence.

The head of American diplomacy, Antony Blinken, traveled to Tirana ahead of his trip to the Munich Security Conference and made it clear on Thursday that the United States was discussing this threat with its allies.

The 1967 Outer Space Treaty, to which the United States and Russia are party, prohibits the use of nuclear weapons in space.

– “Critical situation” –

After House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner's cryptic statement on Wednesday fueled speculation in Washington, Moscow described the information coming from the US as “malicious” and “baseless.”

For the Kremlin, it is “obvious” that this is a maneuver by the American executive branch to push through an aid package for Ukraine that has been blocked in Congress for months.

Comments called John Kirby's Thursday “bullshit.”

The disclosure of that information on Wednesday also angered the White House, as Mr. Kirby said the executive branch would seek to determine whether American intelligence sources and methods had been compromised.

The Democratic-majority U.S. Senate on Tuesday approved a new $60 billion package for Kiev, which is desperate for help from its Western allies in the war against Russia, but House Republican leader Mike Johnson rejected any vote about the project.

He follows the line of Donald Trump, who demands that stricter immigration legislation must be passed before any new financial aid to Ukraine.

Another aid package for Ukraine, with funding for Israel and a section on immigration, was previously rejected by the Senate, with conservative elected officials asserting that it was not robust enough.

The latter also want to offer Joe Biden a political victory no less than nine months before the November presidential election, in which Donald Trump will most likely meet with the outgoing Democratic president in order to take revenge for the 2020 election.

Speaking at the White House on Thursday, John Kirby stressed that the city of Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine was at risk of falling into the hands of the Russian army, calling the situation “critical.”

Given Moscow's firepower, Ukrainian troops are particularly lacking in ammunition.