MOSCOW – Russia sharply criticized U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order on Friday to develop a new missile defense shield, accusing the United States of destabilizing the global nuclear balance and setting the stage for military conflict in space.
On Monday, Trump signed an order to initiate the development of an “American Iron Dome,” a next-generation U.S. missile defense system designed to defend against ballistic, hypersonic, cruise missiles, and other aerial threats.
The White House explained that the goal was to modernize an outdated defense system in response to the growing complexity of “catastrophic threats,” as U.S. adversaries, including Russia and China, have developed advanced delivery systems.
However, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova argued that the initiative was intended to weaken the nuclear deterrence capabilities of both Russia and China.
In the strongest Russian criticism yet of a policy from Trump’s new administration, Zakharova stated that the U.S. plan would undermine efforts for nuclear arms control talks, a goal both Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have expressed support for.
“This plan directly envisions a major enhancement of the U.S. nuclear arsenal and the means to conduct military operations in space, including the development and deployment of space-based interception systems,” Zakharova told reporters during a briefing in Moscow.
“We view this as further confirmation of the U.S. intention to turn space into a battlefield and deploy weapons there,” she said.
“These U.S. strategies will not help reduce tensions or improve the situation in the strategic realm, nor will they lay the groundwork for meaningful dialogue on strategic offensive arms,” she added.
The White House’s statement on the Iron Dome did not mention strengthening the U.S. nuclear arsenal but emphasized:
“The Iron Dome will advance the goals of peace through strength. By providing the United States with a second-strike capability, it will deter adversaries from attacking the homeland.”
Both Trump and Putin have expressed interest in meeting in person to discuss various issues, including the war in Ukraine. However, Moscow has stated it has yet to receive any indications from the U.S. regarding when or where such a meeting could occur.
