US says Russia is developing ‘troubling’ space-based anti-satellite weapons, Kremlin denies

Russia is developing a space-based anti-satellite weapon that is “troubling” for the United States but does not pose a direct threat to people on Earth, the White House said Thursday.

The news comes just a day after U.S. lawmakers issued vague warnings about unspecified but serious national security threats facing the United States, sparking a flurry of speculation.

Moscow has denied the claims as “malicious” and “baseless,” calling them a White House ploy to try to pass a multibillion-dollar Ukraine war aid package stalled by Congress.

“I can confirm that this is related to Russia’s developing anti-satellite capabilities,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters at a White House news conference.

“This is not a deployed active capability. While Russia’s pursuit of this particular capability is troubling, it does not pose a direct threat to anyone’s security,” he said.

Kirby confirmed that the Russian weapon was “space-based” but would not comment on U.S. media reports that the weapon was nuclear-capable or nuclear-powered.

But he said that would violate the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, to which Russia and the United States are parties and which prohibits the deployment of nuclear weapons in space.

He added that such a weapon could pose a fatal risk to astronauts in low orbit and could disrupt important military and civilian satellites.

“We’re not talking about a weapon that could be used to attack humans or cause physical damage on the planet,” Kirby said.

U.S. President Joe Biden has been informed of the situation and ordered officials to contact Moscow about the weapons, but Moscow has yet to respond.

Washington has been concerned since Republican House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner issued a public statement on Wednesday citing a “serious national security threat” and calling on Biden to “declassify all information related to this threat.”

“Skill”

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan held a closed-door meeting with congressional leaders on Thursday to update them on the developments.

However, lawmakers’ early disclosures angered the White House, and Kirby said they were investigating whether U.S. intelligence sources and methods were compromised.

Democrat Joe Biden and the Republican-led House of Representatives are deadlocked over the White House’s request for $60 billion in military aid to help Ukraine fend off a Russian invasion entering its third year.

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, who has repeatedly warned that he will not address the security of allies until the U.S. immigration system is strengthened, has refused to bring the Senate-passed bill to a vote.

Kirby said Ukraine’s beleaguered frontline town of Avdievka “is at risk of falling under Russian control” in part because of a lack of ammunition.

Moscow has denied claims about the technology, calling it a U.S. attempt to discredit Russia and promote funding for Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the White House was “making every effort to get Congress to vote on the appropriations bill,” state-run TASS news agency reported.

“Obviously. Let’s see what tricks the White House will pull, so to speak.”

Kirby said the Kremlin’s comments were “nonsense.”

The West has accused Russia of reckless nuclear rhetoric after President Vladimir Putin said he was prepared to use nuclear weapons if he felt threatened.

Russia and the United States are both parties to the Outer Space Treaty, which bans the deployment of nuclear weapons in space.

Meanwhile, Putin said he would prefer a “predictable” Joe Biden to Donald Trump in November’s US presidential election.

“Mr. Putin should stay out of our elections,” Kirby added.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from associated news agency – AFP)