White House Says Russia’s Space Nukes Aren’t a Threat to People
The White House reported on Thursday that Russia’s plan to use nuclear weapons in space is not an “immediate threat to anyone’s safety.”
During a White House Press Room briefing on Thursday, National Security Communications adviser John Kirby confirmed that Russia’s anti-satellite capability is still in development.
“This is not an active capability that has been deployed,” Kirby said. “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,” he added.
On Wednesday, Representative Mike Turner (R-OH), the chair of the House Intelligence Committee released an ominous statement about a “serious national security threat,” that would require the broad declassification of U.S. intelligence, and the aid of U.S. allies.
Later that day, sources on Capitol Hill told ABC News that the emerging threat was a Russian capability to use nuclear weapons against satellites.
When asked whether or not Americans should be concerned about the threat, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said, “That question is impossible to answer with a straight yes.”
On Thursday, Kirby said that Biden has been regularly informed about the issue, and has made direct diplomatic engagement with Russia as well as U.S. allies. He said that a broad declassification of information regarding the threat will not be necessary, and is not in line with how the U.S. works with information of this nature.
Regardless of the information's exposure to the public domain, Kirby said that the government would proceed with declassification in a “careful deliberate and strategic way, in a way that we choose.”
Kirby said that Sullivan will meet with House committee chairs on Thursday afternoon. Rep. Turner was scheduled to meet with other congressmen in a classified briefing on Thursday.
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