Russia criticized the U.S. for its Golden Dome anti-missile system, announced recently by President Donald Trump, saying it undermines strategic stability.
Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, told Washington to abandon the deployment of weapons in space. Her comments came at a press briefing on Tuesday morning and were reported by TASS, a Russian state news agency.
Newsweek has contacted the U.S. Space Force for comment via email outside of normal business hours.
Why It Matters
American military leaders have consistently warned that nations like China and Russia are developing advanced missile technologies that outpace existing U.S. defenses. Golden Dome is intended to close that gap.
What To Know
Trump has unveiled his administration’s preferred concept for the Golden Dome program—a sprawling $175-billion initiative that will mark the first time the U.S. deploys weapons in space.
The president said he expects the system to be “fully operational before the end of my term,” which ends in 2029, and claimed it would be capable of intercepting missiles “even if they are launched from space.”
China also recently urged the U.S. to abandon its Golden Dome project.
Russia and China have put offensive weapons in space, such as satellites with abilities to disable critical U.S. satellites, which can make the U.S. vulnerable to attack.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office at the White House on May 20, 2025 in Washington, DC.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office at the White House on May 20, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Golden Dome is envisioned to include ground- and space-based capabilities able to detect and stop missiles at all four major stages of a potential attack: before a launch, their earliest stage of flight, midcourse in the air, or the final minutes as they descend toward a target.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated this month that just the space-based components of the Golden Dome could cost as much as $542 billion over the next 20 years.
The Pentagon has warned for years that the newest missiles developed by China and Russia are so advanced that updated countermeasures are necessary.
Golden Dome’s added satellites and interceptors—where the bulk of the program’s cost is—would be focused on stopping those advanced missiles early on or in the middle of their flight.
What People Are Saying
General Chance Saltzman, head of the U.S. Space Force, told lawmakers at a recent hearing that the space-based weapons envisioned for Golden Dome “represent new and emerging requirements for missions that have never before been accomplished by military space organizations.”
Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said at a press briefing: “This highly offensive system violates the principle of peaceful use of outer space. It will exacerbate the risk of turning outer space into a battlefield and starting an arms race, and shake the international security and arms control system.”
This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.