The Russian embassy in the US has warned that Washington’s behavior on the world stage risks direct conflict between the nuclear states.
This comes in the wake of the US testing a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile amid escalating tensions with Moscow over the Ukraine war.
Washington had postponed the launch twice due to tensions with China over House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in a bid to avoid escalating tensions with China.
The US has tested a long range Minuteman III nuclear capable Intercontinental Ballistic Missile according to a statement by US Air Force, stressing that the launch was not related to current global events, adding that these tests happen periodically to make sure the United States nuclear deterrent is reliable and accurate.
However, the launch of the ICBM comes as geopolitical tensions are on the rise across the globe. The test was originally scheduled to take place in March, but was postponed to avoid stoking tensions over Russia's February 24th attack on Ukraine.
It was postponed once again at the beginning of August as military tensions soared over China's test launches of multiple ballistic missiles and live fire exercises in reaction to the visit of the top US lawmaker, Nancy Pelosi, to Taiwan.
China considers the island to be a breakaway province saying the visit is an example of interference in its internal affairs and has warned Washington of serious repercussions.
Meanwhile, Russia has slammed US nuclear policy, warning that Washington's behavior on the world stage risks direct conflict between the nuclear states Moscow says Washington's reckless disregard for the security and interests of other countries contributes to an increase in nuclear risks.
The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, has accused the US of trying to prolong the conflict in Ukraine and provoking confrontations across the world. Putin asserts that one such attempt was the recent visit by US House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, to Taiwan.
President Putin believes the trip was part of what he asserts is a purposeful, conscious, strategy to destabilize the region. The Russian president called the visit a brazen demonstration of disrespect for the sovereignty of other countries. He also said Western countries are seeking to create a NATO like military bloc in the Asia Pacific.
The Russian president also has said that Moscow values its ties with countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa, and is ready to offer modern weapons to its allies. Putin said in February that his nation's nuclear forces should be put on high alert as US moves have raised fears of a nuclear war.
And what we're seeing now is a new arms race, which of course the Russian Federation doesn't want but the United States keeps pursuing and keeps pushing ahead.
Christopher Helali, Political Analyst & Researcher
The message that Washington is sending by testing a nuclear capable intercontinental ballistic missile amid ongoing tensions between the US and other global powers is anything but friendly and could lead to unpredictable results.
The demonstration of America's nuclear power comes amid notable global issues, such as Russia's war in Ukraine, as well as rising tensions between China and Taiwan. Therefore, it will only increase the possibility of conflict, which is why the US claims to be preventing a nuclear fiasco, but the facts suggest the opposite.
The US has over 5400 nuclear warheads and has recently withdrawn from two key arms control agreements, the 1987 intermediate range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which bans certain classes of land based missiles, and the 1992 Treaty on Open Skies, which allow for surveillance flights over each other's territories. In addition Washington habitually makes unfounded accusations against countries whose worldviews do not coincide with the American version.
Iran has reiterated that its nuclear program was for purely peaceful purposes and that Tehran had no interest in developing nuclear weapons, in spite of the US led commotion created over its nuclear program. However, the US has leveled inhumane sanctions against Iran to dismantle the country's peaceful nuclear program, a goal that has never come to pass.
I believe, first and foremost, that as many commentators have mentioned over the past few decades, that the United States is the number one rogue nation and what we see here with the recent test of the intercontinental ballistic missile in the past 24 hours by the United States Air Force, is that the United States continues to pursue a path that is reckless, that is dangerous, that continues escalations and provocations not only against Russia, against China, against the Islamic Republic of Iran, against Cuba, Venezuela, against many countries.
Christopher Helali, Political Analyst & Researcher
Washington continues to stoke instability across the globe, and its actions show no sign of good faith. It’s high time the US has stopped its belligerent moves in order to avoid further crises in the world.