Following Russia’s threats to shoot down US satellites, the US has warned of such attacks. “I just want to say that for any attack on US infrastructure, there will be a response, and one that is commensurate with the threat to our infrastructure,” he said Communications Director of the National Security Council, John Kirby, on Thursday. Russia had previously threatened to attack commercial US satellites if they continued to be used to transmit data to Kyiv during the Ukraine war (see below).
According to a TASS report, Konstantin Vorontsov, representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry at the United Nations, said on Thursday night that it was a dangerous tendency for the United States to use civilian satellites for military conflicts. “The quasi-civilian infrastructure can thus become a legitimate target for a counterattack,” Vorontsov was quoted as saying. The West is thus putting civil space travel, but also many social and economic projects on earth, at risk.
Kirby responded that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine was dangerous and provocative. They continue to support Ukraine – and nothing will change in this approach. The US would continue to use all means to expose, deter and hold Russia accountableKirby continued.
The American politician also commented on a possible bilateral meeting between US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit in Bali. “He has no intention of sitting down with Vladimir Putin,” said the 59-year-old.
Putin himself recently said that he “frankly sees no need” for a bilateral meeting with Biden at the G20 summit in mid-November. In any case, it is still unclear whether Putin will travel to Indonesia. Nevertheless, Russia’s president recently announced that sooner or later one would have to talk to the West about a future (see below).
