The US has revealed that Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to be working on nuclear weapons that could circumvent the West’s defense systems as he continues trying to capture Ukraine.
US Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lt General Scott Berrier detailed Putin’s potential moves in a 67-page summary of global threats released on Thursday.
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Moscow claims it is developing missiles that can circumvent the US and its European allies’ defenses to ‘ensure that Russia can credibly inflict unacceptable damage on the West’, Berrier stated in his report.
‘As this war and its consequences slowly weaken Russian conventional strength, Russia likely will increasingly rely on its nuclear deterrent to signal the West and project strength to its internal and external audiences,’ Berrier wrote.
There are already signs of Russia stepping up its arms aggression. Putin recently put out non-nuclear missiles with decoy projectiles that could possibly be used with the deadliest bombs in his possession. Such parts had not been seen previously.
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Putin could use the weapons as he becomes desperate to advance his mission, according to Berrier.
‘US efforts to undermine Russia’s goals in Ukraine, combined with its perception that the United States is a nation in decline, could prompt Russia to engage in more aggressive actions not only in Ukraine itself, but also more broadly in its perceived confrontation with the West,’ he stated.
Berrier added that despite greater resistance than Putin anticipated and the losses Russia has suffered, ‘Moscow appears determined to press forward by using more lethal capabilities until the Ukrainian government is willing to come to terms favorable to Moscow’.
Building on President Joe Biden’s statement, Berrier said that Putin’s main motivation for invading Ukraine is ‘to restore a sphere of influence over Ukraine and the other states of the former Soviet Union’.
Berrier’s report came less than 24 hours before Biden called Chinese President Xi Jinping to assess his stance in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The US warned that Xi has been considering giving military aid to Russia, and that China would face severe consequences if it indeed supports Putin.
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