White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby in Washington, February 15, 2024 (AFP / Jim Watson)
Russia is developing an anti-satellite weapon, the White House said Thursday, a “worrisome” element that does not represent an “immediate threat.”
On Wednesday, the head of the House Intelligence Committee sparked trouble in Washington by publicly inviting his colleagues in Congress to review “information related to a serious threat to national security,” without further details.
American media asserted that Russia intended to launch a nuclear warhead into space against satellites.
Lifting the veil on the mystery, a White House National Security Council spokesman confirmed to reporters on Thursday that it was “connected to an anti-satellite capability being developed by Russia”. However, he refused to specify whether or not it had a nuclear dimension.
It was not “deployed”, John Kirby clarified, adding: “While this activity by Russia is worrisome, there is no immediate threat to anyone’s security.”
“We’re not talking about a weapon that could be used to attack humans or wreak havoc on Earth,” Mr. Kirby said.
But while it could threaten astronauts traveling in low Earth orbit or even damage military or civilian satellites, he assured that the United States is “closely monitoring the situation” and will continue to “take it very seriously.”
President Joe Biden was informed of the threat and ordered officials to contact Moscow about the matter.
White House national security adviser Jack Sullivan also went to Congress on Thursday to present a briefing to a group of eight elected officials on access to the most sensitive American intelligence.
Traveling to Tirana before heading to the Munich Security Conference, American diplomatic chief Anthony Blinken clarified Thursday that the United States is discussing the threat with its allies.
The Outer Space Treaty of 1967, to which the United States and Russia are parties, prohibits the deployment of nuclear weapons in space.
– “serious situation” –
After a secret statement Wednesday by Mike Turner, head of the House of Representatives’ Intelligence Committee, that fueled speculation in Washington, Moscow called the information coming from the United States “tainted” and “baseless.”
For the Kremlin, it is “obvious” that this is a ploy by the American executive to push through an aid package for Ukraine, which has been blocked in Congress for months.
The comments were described Thursday as “bullshit” by John Kirby.
The release of the information on Wednesday also angered the White House, with Mr. Kirby announcing that the executive would try to determine whether American intelligence sources and methods had been compromised.
The US Senate, with a Democratic majority, on Tuesday approved a new package including $60 billion for Kiev, which is seeking help from its Western allies in its war against Russia, but the Republican leader of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, refuses. Any opinion on the project.
He aligns himself with the line of Donald Trump, who calls for tougher immigration laws to be approved before any new financial aid to Ukraine.
Another package on aid to Ukraine, along with funding for Israel and a section on immigration, was earlier rejected by the Senate, with conservative elected officials saying it was not strong enough.
The latter also does not want to offer Joe Biden a political victory nine months before the November presidential election where Donald Trump will meet the outgoing Democratic president in a revenge 2020 election.
At the White House on Thursday, John Kirby stressed that the city of Evdiyvka in eastern Ukraine was at risk of falling into Russian military hands, calling it a “serious situation.”
Ukrainian troops are particularly short of ammunition against Moscow’s firepower.
