China and India must press Vladimir Putin against the possible deployment of a new space-based nuclear weapon that would knock out even the satellites of Beijing and New Delhi, leaving the world 'disconnected'. Although US intelligence agencies are divided on the imminence of the threat, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken raised the possibility of such a move with his Chinese and Indian counterparts. And urged them to act.

US appeal

The message, delivered on the sidelines of the Munich security conference, was stark. The New York Times reported it. Any nuclear detonation in space would destroy not only American satellites but also those of Beijing and New Delhi, and global communication systems would collapse. Knocking out everything from emergency services to mobile phones, to setting generators and petrol pumps. Debris from the explosion would scatter throughout low Earth orbit, and would make navigation difficult if not impossible for everything: from Starlink satellites used for internet communications, to spy satellites.

Since Russian President Vladimir Putin has made clear his contempt for the United States, Blinken said, it is now up to the leaders of China and India. That is, it is up to President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to dissuade him from what could turn into a disaster. In a note, the State Department said that in his meetings Blinken had “emphasised that the pursuit of this capability should be a matter of concern”. And that he would “continue to raise this issue in further meetings at the Munich Security Conference”.

Nuclear Danger

In its reconstruction, the New York Times reports what happened two years ago, when Moscow conducted a series of secret launches of military satellites at the time of Ukraine’s invasion in early 2022. US intelligence leaders began to delve into what exactly the Russians were doing. Subsequently, intelligence agencies discovered that Moscow was working on a new type of space weapon. A device that could threaten the thousands of satellites that keep the world connected. In recent weeks, a new alert has been circulated by US 007s. Another launch could be on the way. And the question is whether Russia intends to use it to put a real nuclear weapon into orbit in space, violating a half-century old treaty. Intelligence agencies are divided on the likelihood of Putin going that far. But intelligence on this scenario is a matter of urgent concern for the Biden administration.

Scenario

Even if Russia were to put a nuclear weapon in orbit, US leaders agree it would not be detonated. But it would be hidden like a time bomb in low orbit. As a reminder, Putin - if pressed too hard with sanctions or military opposition to his ambitions in Ukraine or elsewhere - could destroy economies, without targeting human beings on earth.

French President Emmanuel Macron also spoke on the Russian threat, speaking alongside his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky after the signing of a bilateral security treaty. And he addressed the issue of the nuclear weapon risk in space that Russia is allegedly preparing. The Elysée tenant said that Russia must “give explanations as soon as possible”.

The same warning to the Kremlin came from NATO. "We can never take peace for granted, even though we see no imminent military threats to the Alliance," says Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. NATO, he adds, "continues to ensure that there is no room for miscalculation in Moscow about our readiness to protect all allies".

Regarding the ventilated Russian nuclear threat against US satellite systems, Stoltenberg explains that "in NATO we constantly exchange intelligence among allies. And of course, we monitor all potential threats from all directions”.

See, L’incubo delle “guerre stellari” Usa-Russia. Appello profetico