Russian anti-satellite weapons: “no immediate threat,” White House assures

The United States takes the situation “very seriously.” Russia is developing anti-satellite weapons, the White House said Thursday, saying it is a “worrying” element but does not pose an “imminent threat.”

The head of the House Intelligence Committee caused trouble in Washington on Wednesday by publicly inviting his congressional colleagues to consider “information relating to a significant threat to national security” without further detail. The American media assured that Russia intends to deploy nuclear weapons in space against satellites.

Lifting the lid on the mysterious case, a White House National Security Council official confirmed to reporters Thursday that it “involves an anti-satellite capability developed by Russia.” However, he refused to clarify whether it had a nuclear dimension or not. It has not been “deployed,” John Kirby said, adding: “While this Russian activity is concerning, there is no immediate threat to anyone’s safety.”

“Not a weapon for attacking people”

“We’re not talking about weapons that can be used to attack people or destroy the Earth,” John Kirby said. But the United States is “monitoring the situation closely” and will continue to “take it very seriously.” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan plans to go to Congress on Thursday to brief a group of eight elected officials with access to America’s most sensitive intelligence.

Traveling to Tirana ahead of his trip to the Munich Security Conference, US diplomacy chief Antony Blinken said on Thursday that the United States was discussing the threat with its allies. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty, to which the United States and Russia are parties, prohibits the deployment of nuclear weapons in space.