Touting fresh arsenal, Putin warns U.S. of ‘new reality’
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 weapons catalog 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.
It wasn’t immediately possible to assess whether the weapons could do what Putin said or how ready they are for deployment.
The White House said Putin confirmed 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 the U.S. is “moving forward to modernize our nuclear arsenal and ensure our capabilities are unmatched.”
Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said the U.S. military was prepared to defend the nation.
Washington has consistently argued that missile defense systems in Europe aren’t aimed at Moscow but designed to defend against threats from Iran, North Korea and rogue threats.
Putin has shrugged off those arguments and said the U.S. has underestimated Russia’s ability to mount a response.
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.”
Putin’s dramatic announcement comes as he seeks another six-year term on March 18, an election he is expected to win easily.
State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said it was “unfortunate” to watch animation depicting “a nuclear attack on the United States” that accompanied Putin’s speech, calling the video “cheesy” and adding that “we don’t think it’s responsible.”