Russian President Vladimir Putin boasted of a powerful new generation of nuclear weapons his country has developed on Thursday in his annual state-of-the-nation address.
The weapons included a cruise missile that he claimed could “reach anywhere in the world.”
In a concept video, Putin displayed the unlimited range nuclear warheads raining down on what looks like Florida to showoff his country’s new military technology.
“Any use of nuclear weapons against Russia or its allies, any kind of attack, will be regarded as a nuclear attack against Russia, and in response, we will take action instantaneously no matter what the consequences are,” Putin said. “Nobody should have any doubt about that.”
In the wake of Putin’s bragging, Alabama 3rd District U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers — a member of both the House Armed Services Committee as well as the House Homeland Security Committee — said the U.S. must take steps to bolster the U.S. nuclear deterrent.
“Putin’s disclosure of their development of a nuclear-armed, nuclear-powered cruise missile is just the latest in a string of new and horrific Russian weapons designed to intimidate and coerce the U.S. and our allies. This only makes it clearer that President Trump’s 2018 Nuclear Posture Review is correct: we must take steps to bolster the U.S. nuclear deterrent to deter adversaries and reassure allies,” said Rogers.
“We cannot stand idly by and do nothing in the face of these barbaric weapons and threats. In Congress we must act to support President Trump’s budget request for nuclear modernization. We can’t be dissuaded by nuclear disarmament advocates who would rather us unilaterally disarm while also dismantling our missile defenses.”
