U.S. sources confirmed to CBS News that the Biden administration had warned Russia directly not to deploy an anti-satellite weapon capable of delivering nuclear warheads. A larger diplomatic effort, including calls for the governments of India and China to speak out against Moscow, included the warning.
The conversations have been prompted by a warning from Ohio Republican House Intelligence Committee chairman Mike Turner, who made a vague remark last week about a “serious national security threat” and brought the matter to the attention of the public.
According to John Kirby, the White House’s National Security Communications Advisor, Turner was worried about a Russian “anti-satellite capability” in orbit. However, Kirby emphasized that the technology was still in development and did not present an immediate danger to American citizens since it had not been deployed.
The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 forbids the deployment of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction into space, hence Russia would be breaking the law if it used such a weapon. The US and Russia are among over 130 nations that have signed the treaty.
“We are not talking about a weapon that can be used to attack human beings or cause physical destruction here on Earth,” Kirby commented. “That said, we’ve been closely monitoring this Russian activity, and we will continue to take it very seriously.”
U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity discussed the sensitive meetings between Russian spy director Sergei Naryshkin and CIA Director William Burns, regarding this topic.
A second American source stated that during last week’s Munich Security Conference, Russian efforts to develop anti-satellite weapons were discussed by Secretary of State Antony Blinken with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
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