The White House is reportedly preparing to brief top lawmakers on a “national security threat” associated with Russia’s plans to deploy a nuclear weapon in space.
What Happened: The House Intelligence Committee chairman, Mike Turner (R-Ohio), expressed concerns on Wednesday about a “destabilizing foreign military capability” that he believes President Joe Biden should declassify. According to two sources familiar with the situation, the threat is related to Russia’s ambitions to place a nuclear weapon in space, not aimed at Earth, but potentially against satellites, reported ABC News.
Lawmakers have described the issue as serious but have avoided causing public panic. “We are going to work together to address this matter, as we do all sensitive matters that are classified,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) stated.
Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), a ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee, echoed Johnson’s sentiments, labeling the warning as “significant” but “not a cause for panic.”
Turner has urged President Biden to declassify all information related to the threat. He has made information on the matter accessible to all House members in a secure location.
Jake Sullivan, the White House’s national security adviser, has arranged a classified meeting with congressional leadership to discuss the issue. Sullivan assured that President Biden is making decisions to ensure the security of the American people.
Why It Matters: Earlier last year, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced in June 2023 that his country had started receiving shipments of Russian tactical nuclear weapons, some of which are three times more powerful than the atomic bombs dropped by the U.S. on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, as per a Benzinga report.
In October 2023, Russia announced its decision to revoke the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, citing the U.S.’s “irresponsible attitude to global security” as the primary reason for the decision, according to another Benzinga report. These events have heightened concerns about Russia’s nuclear ambitions and their potential implications for global security.
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