U.S. Issues Direct Warning to Russia: No Space Nuclear Weapon Deployment

Tensions between the United States and Russia escalate, as the United States has directly warned Russia not to deploy space nuclear weapons for satellite attacks, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 22nd (local time).

According to the report, the United States delivered a direct warning message to Russia through various diplomatic channels.

A notable channel is Jake Sullivan, the National Security Advisor to the White House. After Russia invaded Ukraine, Sullivan met multiple times with Yuri Ushakov, the diplomatic advisor to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and advised Russia not to use nuclear weapons or weapons of mass destruction. William Burns, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the United States, also contacted Sergei Naryshkin, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), last week.

This move came after Mike Turner, the Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, cited a “serious national security threat” and requested President Joe Biden to declassify information about it on the 14th. The White House confirmed on the 15th that the grave national security threat mentioned by Chairman Turner is related to Russia’s satellite attack capabilities but did not reveal specific details. The WSJ explained that the Biden administration has been trying to alleviate concerns after Chairman Turner warned of a severe national security threat.

Earlier, Bloomberg also reported that the United States warned its allies about the possibility of Russia deploying space nuclear weapons within the year. The key is that the United States and its allies are persuading China and India not to allow Russia to deploy capabilities that can neutralize satellites using nuclear weapons in space.

Meanwhile, as reports continue that Russia’s satellite attack capabilities are related to space-based nuclear weapons targeting U.S. satellites, some criticisms of deploying nuclear weapons beyond the atmosphere violate the UN Space Treaty that came into effect in 1967. The UN Space Treaty, which both the United States and Russia have signed, prohibits the deployment of nuclear weapons or weapons of mass destruction in space.