Journalism of Courage
US President Donald Trump on Monday urged Russian leader Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine rather than focus on testing new nuclear weapons, reported AFP, after Moscow announced a successful trial of its long-range Burevestnik cruise missile.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One during his Asia tour, Trump said the missile test was “not appropriate” and that Putin should prioritise peace instead. “He ought to get the war (in Ukraine) ended. A war that should have taken one week is now soon in its fourth year. That’s what he ought to do instead of testing missiles,” Trump said, according to AFP.
The remarks came a day after Putin announced that Russia had successfully tested the nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile, a weapon Moscow claims can bypass any existing or future defence systems. The missile, also known by its NATO codename SSC-X-9 Skyfall, is said to have an almost unlimited range and unpredictable flight path, Reuters reported.
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It is a “unique” weapon which “nobody else in the world has”, Putin said in remarks released by the Kremlin on Sunday. Dressed in camouflage fatigues, he made the announcement during a meeting with senior generals overseeing the war in Ukraine.
Russia’s top general, Valery Gerasimov, told Putin that the missile had flown around 14,000 km for approximately 15 hours during its October 21 test. Gerasimov said the Burevestnik was powered by a nuclear engine and could defeat any anti-missile defence system.
(With inputs from AFP and Reuters)
