U.S. Downplays Threat Of Russian Space Bid That Riled Lawmaker

(Bloomberg) -- The White House said Russia is developing an “anti-satellite capability” but cautioned it is not yet active and poses no current threat after a top US lawmaker warned of an unspecified national security concern.

“This is not an active capability that has been deployed,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters Thursday. “There is no immediate threat to anyone’s safety.”

Kirby’s revelation is the latest in a whirlwind that began when House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner on Wednesday issued a cryptic statement about an unspecified national security threat, spurring conflicting accounts of the severity. 

After a classified briefing with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan at the Capitol late Thursday, Turner likewise called it a Russian anti-satellite weapon and said he has “great faith” in the steps the administration is taking to address the threat. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson called it a “serious matter” that the US needs to address immediately. 

“We’re taking this potential threat very, very seriously, and we are examining what the best next steps are and what our options might be,” Kirby said.

US intelligence shows Russia is discussing the possibility of a nuclear weapon in space, according to people familiar with the matter. The threat, however, is not an active one, the people cautioned, and Russia has yet to deploy such a weapon into space. 

Kirby declined to go into further detail on the capability when asked if it is nuclear-powered, but said that it would be space-based.

“It would be space-based, and it would be a violation of the Outer Space Treaty, which more than 130 countries have signed up to including Russia,” he said.

Earlier: Russia Mulls Nuclear Weapon in Space, US Intelligence Finds (1)

Turner has called on President Joe Biden to declassify “all information relating to this threat.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the finding a White House “ruse” to encourage lawmakers to pass a funding bill, according to the state-run Tass news service. 

The developments come as further US aid to Ukraine to help Kyiv fend off Russia’s invasion remains deadlocked in Congress due to a fight over immigration policy and border security. 

Kirby on Thursday said the US is “in the process of engaging with Russia about this” but said they have “not secured actual conversations at this point.”

(Updates with Turner and Johnson in the fourth and fifth paragraphs)

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