WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th November, 2021) The United States will be looking closely at Russia's actions in the coming days to determine whether to take action following Moscow's alleged anti-satellite missile test, US State Department spokesperson Ned price said.
Earlier on Monday, the State Department accused Russia of conducting an anti-satellite missile test against one of its own satellites. Washington condemned the action that allegedly generated debris and threatened the interests of all nations.
"Russia's dangerous and irresponsible behavior jeopardizes the long-term sustainability of our outer space and clearly demonstrates that Russia's claims of opposing the weapons and weaponization of space are disingenuous and hypocritical," Price said during a press briefing.
"I don't want to get ahead of specific measures that we may pursue... We are going to watch very closely as the Russian Federation chooses its actions in the coming days and weeks," he said.
In addition, Price pointed out that the missile test, along with other activities, give Washington a "pause" in determining whether the two nations can achieve a more stable relationship as it was hoped for in the run up to the June US and Russian leaders' summit held in Geneva.
"In many ways, I think it is too soon to tell whether that sort of more stable, more predictable relationship with Moscow is on the table," Price said. "But we are keeping those lines of diplomacy open."
According to the US State Department, the missile test has produced over 1,500 pieces of orbital debris and hundreds of thousands of pieces of smaller orbital debris that increase the risk to astronauts and cosmonauts on the International Space Station and other human spaceflight activities.
