In a speech Thursday to the Russian Parliament, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would consider any attack on Russian allies a direct attack on the motherland herself.
“We would consider any use of nuclear weapons against Russia or its allies to be a nuclear attack on our country. The response would be immediate,” Putin said.
He also told lawmakers that Russia has developed a slew of new nuclear weapons that include a missile that could “reach almost any point in the world and could not be intercepted by anti-missile systems,” according to Reuters.
Breaking: #Russia developing an “invincible” new missile which will render NATO defenses “completely useless,” Russian President Vladimir Putin announced today.
“It will be like a meteorite,” #Putin said.
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) March 1, 2018
CNN noted a few new developments touted by Putin in the speech to lawmakers:
One new development: The creation of a low-flying cruise missile capable of stealthy operation. Putin said the missile would be nuclear-powered and showed a video [see below] simulating its flight.“Since the range is unlimited, it can maneuver as much as necessary,” Putin said.Another military development, Putin said, was a weapon capable of flying “like a meteorite” at several times the speed of sound.“It will be practically invulnerable,” he said. “The speed will be hypersonic.”
#Putin: Missile defence useless against our new technologies https://t.co/2LBP29JBVV pic.twitter.com/GC4b9DD89B
— RT (@RT_com) March 1, 2018
The news prompted John Noonan, Senior Counselor for Military and Defense Affairs for Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton, to take to Twitter and downplay the new threat, likening it to the famous shoe-pounding moment of Soviet Premier Nikita Khruschev at the UN in 1960.
Putin on new nuclear cruise missile is classic Russian bluster. It's pounding his shoe on the podium. We can annihilate you, stay out of Syria, stay out of eastern Europe, stay out of the northwest Pacific.
The threat w/new missile is that it can evade our early warning net.
— John Noonan (@noonanjo) March 1, 2018
we've played this game before and won. At the end of the day, Russia is Peru with nukes. Shouldn't allow him to play a straight flush off a pair of 7s.
— John Noonan (@noonanjo) March 1, 2018
I also note with some amusement that there were people as of a few weeks ago still arguing that Russia's cruise missile threat hadn't matured past 1987.
Remember the Army blimp that went haywire in Pennsylvania a few years ago? That carried a radar designed to spot these things
— John Noonan (@noonanjo) March 1, 2018
Keep in mind Putin's still smarting from the thumping U.S. forces gave his mercenaries in Syria. Made Russia look weak. So back to the old playbook… puff out your chest, shake your saber and lob a few nuclear threats at the U.S.
— John Noonan (@noonanjo) March 1, 2018
this only works on Western nations if they allow it to. Traditionally you keep your head about you, make smart adjustments to your nuclear posture, and twist their arms back to the negotiating table.
— John Noonan (@noonanjo) March 1, 2018
Join the conversation as a VIP Member