US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday that the response from the international community would be “significant” if he dared to launch a nuclear strike.

“This is important for the world, and we are focused on doing everything we can to help Ukraine defend its sovereignty, its territory,” Lloyd Austin said during a press conference at the Pentagon, EFE news agency quoted Agerpres as saying. .

Austin assessed that Russia’s use of such weapons, or even talk of their use, is “dangerous and irresponsible.”

Russia on Wednesday conducted exercises of its strategic nuclear forces “Grom”, issuing a new challenge to the West.

During these exercises, it launched ballistic and cruise missiles from the Tula nuclear submarine, two Tu-95MS strategic bombers and Yars land-based mobile intercontinental missile systems, etc.

Lloyd Austin made these remarks during the presentation of the 2022 update National defense strategy and Anti-missile and nuclear defense positions USA.

Containment of China

Regarding the nuclear posture, the document insists that “the United States will consider the use of nuclear weapons only in extreme circumstances” to protect its vital interests and those of its allies and partners.

The document emphasizes that as long as nuclear weapons exist, the fundamental role of US nuclear weapons is to “deter” such an attack on its territory or its allies.

On the other hand, Austin explained that the document emphasizes the need to “maintain and strengthen” deterrence against China: “It is the only competitor that is trying to change the international order and, at the same time, has ever-growing power. do this thing.”

Russia qualifies as a “serious threat,” and this adjective is not an accidental choice, according to the defense minister, because Moscow’s current challenge to the United States may change in the long term, which cannot be said about China.

However, he acknowledged that the Pentagon had been concerned about a possible “escalation” of the situation with Russia since the conflict began on February 24, and he based contacts with Russian officials, including talks he had last week, on that concern. a week with his colleague Serhii Shoigu.

Other threats included in the text are North Korea’s missile tests, Iran’s nuclear program and global terrorist networks.

The US warns Russia of “consequences” if it attacks Western satellites

Separately, the US warned Russia on Thursday that there would be consequences if it attacked the satellites it uses for communications, EFE news agency reported, citing Agerpres.

“Any attack on our infrastructure will provoke an appropriate response from our side. If such attacks do occur, we will do everything possible to publicize them, stop them, and hold Russia accountable for them,” White House spokesman John Kirby warned at a press conference.

Kirby was responding to threats from a senior Russian official, Konstantin Vorontsov, who said that satellites of the United States and its allies could become military targets for Russia if it becomes involved in the war in Ukraine.

Deputy Director of the Department for Non-Proliferation and Arms Control of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vorontsov, said at a meeting of the United Nations that Russia has discovered an “extremely dangerous trend” when Western satellites, including those from the United States, help Ukraine.

At the time, he said these satellites, which can be used to facilitate communications between troops on the battlefield, could become “legitimate” military targets if they were found to be helping Ukraine.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, tycoon Elon Musk, owner of the American space company SpaceX, has sent terminals of his Starlink satellite communications service to Ukraine to help Ukraine stay connected to the Internet despite disruptions caused by Russian bombing. .

The operation has already cost SpaceX $80 million, so Musk has asked the US Department of Defense to offset the costs, CNN reported last week.

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