Congress says Russia poses a serious threat to the US - it's about nuclear weapons in space
According to the White House, the statement was made prematurely and was caused by uncertainty over aid to Ukraine
The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Republican Mike Turner, said that the committee had provided members of Congress with information about a "serious threat to the national security" of the United States. According to US media sources, this threat is related to Russia and the potential deployment of nuclear weapons in space, the BBC reports.
"I am asking President Biden to declassify all information about this threat so that Congress, the administration and our allies can openly discuss the actions necessary to respond to this threat," Turner said.
According to the New York Times, citing officials, it is only about Russia's potential plans and this project is still under development.
Some US media outlets, citing anonymous officials, suggested that Turner, a supporter of urgent aid to Ukraine, made the noise in order to push the House of Representatives to pass a law on this aid.
Earlier on Wednesday, Mike Turner sent a letter to congressmen, which referred to a certain "destabilising foreign military capability" as an urgent problem.
US President Joe Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, declined to comment on the nature of the threats, but said he was surprised by Turner's decision to make the statement as he was scheduled to meet with congressional leaders on Thursday.
"I'm a little surprised that Congressman Turner made a public statement today, on the eve of a scheduled meeting where we're all going to meet with our intelligence and defence professionals," Sullivan said at the briefing.
The US television networks CNN and ABC, the New York Times and Reuters reported, citing anonymous officials, that preparations are underway to deploy nuclear weapons in space.
According to the New York Times, the new intelligence relates to the potential deployment of anti-satellite nuclear weapons in space.
"These new capabilities are still being developed, and Russia has not yet deployed them. Accordingly, they pose no immediate threat to the United States, Ukraine or America's European allies," the New York Times writes.
According to the newspaper's interlocutors, this intelligence was obtained a few days ago, it is top secret, and it is impossible to disclose it without compromising the source.
That is why Mike Turner's statement, according to the New York Times, angered the White House: it threatens to lose valuable sources of information about Russia.
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