Russia, North Korea, and China Condemn U.S. "Golden Dome" Space Defense System
The recently announced "Golden Dome" missile defense initiative by U.S. President Donald Trump has drawn strong criticism from Russia, North Korea, and China, who warn that the plan could have far-reaching global consequences.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova urged Washington to abandon its plans for deploying weapons in space, warning that the Golden Dome would destabilize global strategic balance. Her comments were delivered during a press briefing Tuesday and reported by the state-run TASS news agency.
North Korea echoed similar concerns, calling the project a step toward “an outer space nuclear war scenario” that supports what it describes as the U.S.’s strategy of global domination. The statement was published by KCNA, North Korea’s state media, citing a memorandum from the country’s American policy studies division.
U.S. military officials have long warned of advancements in missile technology by nations like China and Russia, which could surpass current American defenses. The Golden Dome aims to counter that threat.
President Trump recently introduced the concept of the Golden Dome—a $175 billion missile defense system that would mark the first time the U.S. deploys combat-ready weapons in space. Trump said he expects the system to be “fully operational before the end of my term,” which concludes in 2029, and emphasized its ability to intercept missiles even if launched from space.
China has also voiced opposition to the program. At a recent press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning criticized the Golden Dome as a violation of the principle of peaceful space exploration. She warned it would escalate the risk of militarizing outer space and undermine global arms control efforts.
Both Russia and China have already deployed offensive space-based technologies, including satellites capable of disabling key U.S. assets in orbit. These developments have increased pressure on the U.S. to strengthen its defenses.
The Golden Dome is expected to feature both ground-based and space-based systems designed to detect and neutralize missiles during all four phases of a potential attack: pre-launch, boost phase, midcourse, and terminal phase as the missile approaches its target.
A recent report from the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the space-based elements of the program alone could cost up to $542 billion over the next two decades.
General Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations for the U.S. Space Force, told lawmakers that the mission profile for Golden Dome represents an unprecedented shift in military space strategy. “These are emerging requirements for missions never before carried out by space forces,” he said.
North Korea’s KCNA warned that the U.S. missile defense program risks triggering a new arms race in both nuclear and space domains, saying, “This plan stimulates the security concerns of nuclear weapons states and turns outer space into a potential nuclear battlefield.”
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