Russia has expressed strong disapproval of President Donald Trump’s recent proposal to develop a missile defense system reminiscent of the Cold War-era “Star Wars” initiative. On Monday, Trump signed an executive order aimed at establishing a defense system dubbed an “Iron Dome for America,” intended to counter threats from ballistic and hypersonic missiles. This plan revives elements of the controversial Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) introduced during President Ronald Reagan’s administration, which sought to place missile interceptors in outer space.
Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, delivered a pointed critique during a briefing, emphasizing that such initiatives would effectively transform outer space into a battleground. She characterized the U.S. approach as a confirmation of its intent to militarize space and deploy weapons in that domain, a development she considers alarming and provocative.
Zakharova underscored her concerns by likening the proposed American system to the Reagan-era SDI, which she labeled “odious.” According to her, this plan aims to undermine the strategic deterrent capabilities of both Russia and China, thus significantly intensifying global tensions rather than alleviating them.
The “Iron Dome” referenced in Trump’s executive order is a well-known defense mechanism successfully used by Israel to intercept short-range rockets. However, critics note that the missile threats the United States faces differ markedly from those addressed by Israel’s system. In contrast, Russia has been developing advanced military capabilities, including a hypersonic missile known as “Oreshnik,” capable of traveling at speeds up to ten times that of sound.
The evolving missile landscape hints at a growing arms race, as highlighted in the U.S. National Defense Strategy of 2022, which pointed out that China is rapidly advancing its ballistic and hypersonic missile technologies. This competitive dynamic has led both nations to exchange accusations of weaponizing outer space.
Tensions have escalated in recent months, with the U.S. accusing Russia of deploying space weapons capable of operating in close proximity to American satellites, reflecting the increasingly fraught nature of space security and international relations.
