Combative Putin challenges U.S. in state-of-nation speech
Russian leader calls new weapons a response to American actions in region
MOSCOW — An underwater drone armed with a nuclear warhead powerful enough to sweep away coastal facilities and aircraft carriers.
A hypersonic vehicle impossible to intercept as it flies in a cloud of plasma “like a meteorite.”
President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia has these new strategic weapons and many more, declaring: “No one has listened to us. You listen to us now.”
Putin unveiled the stunning catalog of doomsday machines in his annual state-of-the-nation speech, saying that Russia had to build them to counter the potential threat posed by the U.S. missile defense system.
And in a touch of dark humor, he invited Russians to join a Defense Ministry contest to name some of the weapons.
It wasn’t immediately possible to assess whether the weapons could do what Putin said or how ready they are for deployment, but they would represent a major technological breakthrough that could dramatically bolster Russia’s military capability, boost its global position and trigger a new arms race.
The White House said Putin confirmed what the U.S. has already known: that Russia has been developing “destabilizing weapons systems for over a decade in direct violations of its treaty obligations.”
Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said President Donald Trump understands the threats and that America is “moving forward to modernize our nuclear arsenal and ensure our capabilities are unmatched.”
Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White also said the Defense Department wasn’t surprised, adding that the U.S. military is prepared to defend the nation.
White told Pentagon reporters that U.S. missile defense has never been about Russia.
Washington has consistently argued that missile defense systems in Europe aren’t aimed at Moscow but designed instead to defend against threats from Iran, North Korea and rogue threats.
Putin has shrugged off those arguments and said Thursday that the U.S. plans to develop its missile defense system would “eventually devalue the Russian nuclear arsenal if we sit with our arms folded.”
He said the U.S. has underestimated Russia’s ability to mount a response, aiming for a “unilateral military advantage that could eventually allow it to dictate its terms in other areas.”
The United States should now revise its Russia policy and engage in a serious dialogue on global security, he said.
“You will have to assess that new reality and become convinced that what I said today isn’t a bluff,” he said. “It’s not a bluff, trust me.”
He said the creation of the new weapons has made NATO’s U.S.led missile defense “useless,” putting an end to what he described as years of Western efforts to sidetrack and weaken Russia.
“I want to tell all those who have fueled the arms race over the last 15 years, sought to win unilateral advantages over Russia, introduced unlawful restrictions and sanctions aimed to contain our country’s development: All what you wanted to impede with your policies has now happened,” he said. “You have failed to contain Russia.”
Putin’s dramatic announcement comes as he seeks another six-year term on March 18, an election he is expected to win easily.
His address was accompanied by videos and computer simulations of the new weapons, shown on giant screens at a conference hall near the Kremlin. The audience of senior officials and lawmakers broke into applause, giving him a standing ovation at one point.
“No one else in the world has anything like that,” Putin said.