US plays down fears of Russian space nuclear weapon

Russia is developing an anti-­satellite weapon that is a cause for concern for the US but poses no direct threat to people on Earth, the White House says.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he is prepared to use a nuclear weapon if he felt there was an existential threat to Russia. Picture: AFP

Russia is developing an anti-­satellite weapon that is a cause for concern for the US but poses no direct threat to people on Earth, the White House says.

The US is intending to contact Moscow regarding the weapon, whose existence was confirmed after members of congress warned of an unspecified but serious threat to national security.

Moscow has denied the ­“malicious” and “unfounded” claims, describing them as a White House ploy to try to pass a multibillion-dollar Ukrainian war aid package stalled in congress.

“I can confirm it is related to an anti-satellite capability Russia has de­v­eloped,” National Security Coun­cil spokesman John Kirby said. “This is not an active capability that’s been deployed. And though Russia’s pursuit of this particular capability is troubling, there is no immediate threat to anyone’s safety. We are not talking about a weapon that can be used to attack human beings or cause physical ­destruction here on Earth.”

The US was nevertheless “closely monitoring this Russian activity and we will continue to take it very seriously”, he said.

US President Joe Biden had ­ordered officials to launch “direct diplomatic engagement” with Russia over the weapon, but there had been no contact yet with Moscow, Mr Kirby said.

He would not confirm reports that the Russian anti-satellite capability was a space-based ­nuclear weapon.

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan held a closed-doors meeting with congressional leaders on Thursday (Friday AEDT) about the developments.

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan arrives for a briefing at the Capitol. Picture: Getty Images

Mystery and concern has gripped Washington since house intelligence committee chairman Mike Turner issued a statement on Wednesday referring to a “serious national security threat” and called on Mr Biden to “declassify all information relating to this threat”.

The sudden announcement irked Mr Sullivan, who signalled frustration that Mr Turner had gone public ahead of the briefing already planned for Thursday.

Mr Sullivan said he would meet the four House of Representatives members in the “Gang of Eight” group of party leaders and top intelligence ­committee members, adding that it was “highly unusual” for him to seek such a meeting.  Mr Biden and the Republican-led house are at an impasse over a White House request for $US60bn ($92bn) in military aid to help Ukraine’s defence against the Russian invasion entering its third year.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, who has said he will not address allies’ security until America’s immigration system is shored up, is refusing to bring the Senate-passed bill to the floor for a vote.

Mr Kirby said Ukraine’s embattled frontline town of Avdiivka was “at risk of falling into Russian control”, partly due to a lack of ­ammunition.

Ukraine has rushed soldiers to the eastern town, surrounded on three sides by Russian forces, where the military said the situation was “extremely critical”.

The announcement of reinforcements came as a Ukrainian rocket strike on the Russian border city of Belgorod killed at least seven people, officials there said.

Ukraine said four people were killed following a spree of Russian air and missile attacks.

Both sides are escalating aerial attacks as the war nears the end of its second year. Ukraine’s position around Avdiivka has grown increasingly precarious.

The Ukrainian military described the situation as “extremely critical,” “threatening” and “unstable”, adding that Russia was “throwing new forces and resources into the town”.

Moscow dismissed the ant-­satellite weapons claim as a US attempt to denigrate Russia and push the Ukraine funding through congress.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the White House was “trying to get congress to vote on the appropriations bill any way it can”, the state-run TASS news agency reported.

“It’s obvious. Let’s see what tricks, so to speak, the White House is going to pull,” he was quoted as saying.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, who is involved in Russia’s nuclear policy, said the US was “fantasising” and should provide evidence of its claims.

The West has accused Russia of reckless nuclear rhetoric after President Vladimir Putin said he was prepared to use a nuclear weapon if he felt an existential threat.

The Outer Space Treaty, which Russia and the US are parties to, bans the deployment of nuclear weapons in space.

AFP