Russian missile test launch stokes fears of new arms race
Both countries have acknowledged that relations are deteriorating.
The Kremlin's announcement Friday regarding the latest test of a new intercontinental ballistic missile has added more fuel to growing concerns of a potential new arms race between the U.S. and Russia.
Adding to those fears is the acknowledgment by both countries of deteriorating relations following the tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions in the wake of allegations Russia was behind the nerve agent attack in the U.K. earlier this month.
The White House and National Security Council have not publicly reacted to the news of the ballistic missile test.
President Donald Trump said last week that arms control was a leading topic of his phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which he said the two discussed a potential summit in the near future on the subject.
NBC News reported Thursday that during the call Trump also confronted Putin about his nuclear rhetoric, saying, "If you want to have an arms race we can do that, but I'll win."
The quote, first reported by NBC News and its accuracy confirmed to ABC News by a source familiar with the president's comments, was characterized as essentially an attempt at earnestness, and not so much a threat rather than a negotiating point.
The president said almost as much publicly directly after the call took place in an Oval Office photo opportunity alongside Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
“We had a very good call, and I suspect that we'll probably be meeting in the not-too-distant future to discuss the arms race, which is getting out of control,” Trump said. “But we will never allow anybody to have anything even close to what we have.”
The source said that he believed Putin’s response to Trump’s statement was positive and that that the conversation was not determined to have inflamed tensions further.
The White House has not commented on the newly leaked details of the call. It comes a week after The Washington Post reported yet another leaked detail that stunned White House officials, in which the president was reportedly warned in briefing materials in advance of the call to not congratulate Putin on his recent electoral victory.
Reacting to news of the leak and seemingly pushing back on criticism of his move to praise Putin, Trump explained that his desire to cool tensions with Russia was in large part due to his hopes to solve problems such as "the coming Arms Race."
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