Russia and China have jointly criticized U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed “Iron Dome for America” missile defense system, calling it “deeply destabilising” and a step toward turning outer space into a military battlefield.
The two countries issued a strongly worded statement on Thursday following a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Moscow. Their concerns center on Trump’s initiative to create a large-scale defense system aimed at countering ballistic and hypersonic missile threats, a plan he also refers to as the “Golden Dome.”
According to the Kremlin-released statement, the proposed system “explicitly provides for a significant strengthening of the arsenal for conducting combat operations in space.” Moscow and Beijing warned that such a move revives elements of the controversial Reagan-era “Star Wars” program, and could trigger a new era of space-based arms development.
Both nations vowed to open talks aimed at preventing the weaponization of space and countering policies that seek military dominance beyond Earth.
The “Golden Dome” concept appears to draw inspiration from Israel’s Iron Dome defense system, which is tailored to intercept short-range projectiles — a very different threat profile from the long-range and high-speed capabilities posed by nations like Russia and China.
Russia recently unveiled its “Oreshnik” hypersonic missile, reportedly capable of flying at 10 times the speed of sound, while China has been rapidly advancing in missile technology, narrowing the gap with the United States, according to a 2022 U.S. National Defense Strategy report.
Space security has become a growing concern in recent years, with Washington and Moscow trading accusations of attempting to weaponize space.
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