American intelligence warns that Russia wants to place nuclear weapons in space. Because of such fears, the US has appealed to India and China to persuade Putin not to do so.
This is reported by The New York Times.
At the Munich Security Conference, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken told the foreign ministers of India and China about Russiaʼs plans. Since Russia ignores the opinion of the United States, Blinken hopes that Putin will listen to the leaders of China and India.
The NYT writes that, according to the United States, in the fall of 2022, similar tactics prevented Russia from using tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
Any nuclear explosion in space will destroy not only American satellites, but also Chinese and Indian satellites. This will lead to a global failure of communication systems, and the orbit around the Earth will be covered by space debris, which will make it impossible for any satellites to work. High-ranking officials in the States claim that the weapon does not pose a direct threat to the population.
Some US officials believe that even if Russia does place a nuclear weapon in orbit, it will not be detonated. More likely, it will serve as a "ticking bomb" — an opportunity for Putin to blackmail the world with economic destruction in the event of increased sanctions pressure and a military response from the West.
In 1967, the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union signed the Outer Space Treaty, which prohibits placing nuclear weapons or any other weapons of mass destruction in Earthʼs orbit, on the Moon or any other celestial body, or on a station in outer space.
If Russia were to deploy weapons in orbit, it would violate the 1967 treaty, so the US fears that other countries, such as North Korea, could follow suit.
- Recently, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Republican Mike Turner, called on the Administration of President Joe Biden to declassify information about a "serious threat to the security of the United States" in order to openly discuss it with allies. Citing sources, CNN claimed that this information could be related to Russia — the data allegedly caused "great concern."