US President Donald Trump has said that instead of testing nuclear missiles, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin could end the war, and added that the US has deployed a nuclear submarine off the coast of Russia, writes Reuters.
Putin reported on the 26th of October that Russia had successfully tested its nuclear missile “Burevestnik,” which, according to Moscow, can penetrate any protective shield. Moscow indicated that the missile flew 14,000 kilometers. When asked about the missile tests, Trump replied that the US does not need missiles that fly that far, because there is an American nuclear submarine stationed off the coast of Russia. The US president told reporters that the Russians know that the American nuclear submarine, which is said to be the best in the world, is right off their coast. Trump also added that Putin should not be dealing with missiles now: “You ought to get the war ended, the war that should have taken one week is now in … its fourth year, that’s what you ought to do instead of testing missiles.”
Since the announcement of the 9M730 Burevestnik in 2018, the Russians have been developing the missile as a response to the US-planned anti-missile shield, and also as a response to NATO expansion. Regarding Trump’s remarks,
the Kremlin indicated that Russia would be guided by its own interests,
but saw no reason why the missile tests could aggravate relations with the White House. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that, despite Moscow’s openness to talks, Russia and Putin are guided by national interests. Russia is ensuring its defense by developing new weapons.
Following former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s regular threats of nuclear weapons, Trump has repeatedly spoken out about the deployment of US submarines off the Russian coast. However, it is rare for either side to comment on the location of the submarines.
Washington reported on the 25th of October that it had prepared additional sanctions to affect key sectors of the Russian economy if Putin continues to delay an end to hostilities.
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