U.S. President Donald Trump has advised Russian President Vladimir Putin to focus on ending the conflict with Ukraine and called Russia’s nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile test “inappropriate.”
Donald Trump also highlighted the US’ nuclear capabilities, stating that they have a nuclear submarine.
“They know we have a nuclear submarine, the greatest in the world, right off their shores. So, I mean, it doesn’t have to go 8,000 miles. And they’re not playing games with us. We’re not playing games with them either. We test missiles all the time,” Donald Trump said while interacting with reporters on Air Force One.
“I don’t think it’s an appropriate thing for Putin to be saying either. By the way, he ought to get the war ended. A war that should have taken one week is now in its fourth year. That’s what he ought to do instead of testing missiles,” he added.
The statement follows Russian President Vladimir Putin’s address to the Federal Assembly (Russia’s bicameral parliament), in which he announced that Moscow has developed a compact nuclear power unit capable of being integrated into a cruise missile, allowing it to achieve an almost unlimited range. According to Putin, the weapon would be a low-flying missile with an unpredictable trajectory, TASS reported.
Putin emphasized that the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile is unmatched globally, adding that Russia has successfully tested the system and intends to move forward with its deployment plans. Russian officials have claimed the missile remained airborne for approximately 15 hours, covering nearly 14,000 kilometres (8,700 miles) during the test.
In a related development, President Putin also signed a law formally terminating the plutonium disposal agreement with the United States, which had aimed to curb the production of weapons-grade nuclear material, RT reported.
The State Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, passed the bill earlier this month, while the Federation Council, the upper chamber, approved it last Wednesday. The legislation came into force on Monday following Putin’s signature.
The agreement, signed in September 2000, required both Russia and the United States to dispose of 34 tons of weapons-grade plutonium that was no longer needed for military purposes. (With Inputs from ANI)
