Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses the Federal Assembly, including the State Duma parliamentarians, members of the Federation Council, regional governors and other high-ranking officials, in Moscow, Russia March 1, 2018. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin on Friday rejected a U.S. allegation that Russia had been developing destabilizing weapons systems for over a decade in direct violations of its treaty obligations.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders made the allegation on Thursday after President Vladimir Putin announced an array of new nuclear weapons, saying they could hit almost any point in the world and evade a U.S.-built missile shield.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call on Friday that Russia categorically denied it was in breach of any international arms control pacts.

The White House said U.S. President Donald Trump discussed Putin’s statements on nuclear weapons in separate phone calls with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday.

Related Coverage NATO says Russian warnings against allies 'unacceptable'

The leaders “shared their serious concerns” about the statements and agreed they “detract from productive discussion of a range of issues between Russia and the West,” the White House said.

Peskov rejected an assertion that Putin’s speech, one of his most bellicose in years, would deepen Russia’s international isolation and said it did not herald the start of a new arms race.

“Russia does not plan to get dragged into any arms race,” said Peskov.</s>White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders made the allegation on Thursday after President Vladimir Putin announced an array of new nuclear weapons, saying they could hit almost any point in the world and evade a U.S.-built missile shield.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call on Friday that Russia categorically denied it was in breach of any international arms control pacts.

Peskov also rejected an assertion that Putin's speech, one of his most bellicose in years, would deepen Russia's international isolation and said it did not herald the start of a new arms race.

"Russia does not plan to get dragged into any arms race," said Peskov.</s>Moscow strongly rejects accusations of violating international laws concerning strategic stability, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday. Russia’s efforts to develop new weapon systems do not disrupt nuclear parity in the world, he added. “It does not threaten anyone in any way, as the president explained in his address,” Peskov said, adding that “we have absolute parity.” President Vladimir Putin’s state of the nation address to the Federal Assembly has no militaristic nature while the new types of weapons that were shown are a guarantee of maintaining nuclear parity in the world, TASS quoted the spokesman as saying.</s>(CNN) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday used a concept video of unlimited range nuclear warheads apparently raining down on Florida — President Donald Trump’s home away from home — to tout his country’s new firepower.

Putin boasted about the Kremlin’s resurgent military might during his annual address to his nation’s Parliament, hyping weaponry that he said would render NATO defenses “completely useless.”

He drew repeated applause with animation-backed claims of nuclear-capable weapons that elude air-defense systems and “invincible” missiles that travel at hypersonic speed.

“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.”

Putin, who is up for re-election March 18, used Thursday’s speech to showcase his country’s strides in military technology.

“Russia still has the greatest nuclear potential in the world, but nobody listened to us,” he said. “Listen now.”

To drive home his point, Putin spoke as a video showed multiple nuclear warheads streaking through space before showering down on what appears to be the outline of the state of Florida.

“But even this is not the end,” Putin said. “We’ve developed new strategic weapons that don’t use ballistic trajectory at all, which means that missile defense will be useless against it.”

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters that Putin’s remarks confirmed what the United States has long known: “Russia has been developing destabilizing weapons systems for over a decade, in direct violation of its treaty obligations,” she said.

“President Trump understands the threats facing America and our allies in this century and is determined to protect our homeland and preserve peace through strength,” she added. “US defense capabilities are and will remain second to none.”

US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said department officials watched Putin’s speech with interest.

“It was certainly unfortunate to have watched the video animation that depicted a nuclear attack on the United States,” she said. “That’s certainly something that we did not enjoy watching. We don’t regard that as the behavior of a responsible international player.”

CNN national security analyst Samantha Vinograd said Putin’s braggadocio was meant to rile up Trump, whose presidency has been marred by investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

“I do think Vladimir Putin was speaking to one audience,” she said. “It wasn’t anyone in Russia. It was Donald Trump.”

“He was trying to get the President distracted from anything that Trump may be doing to hold Russia accountable for the ongoing attack on the United States,” she said. “The President’s inaction makes Vladimir Putin think, ‘Why wouldn’t I say all this? Why wouldn’t I show that I can violate treaties and laws and talk about strategic attacks all around the world?’ Vladimir Putin has no reason to feel constrained in any way.”</s>In one of his most bellicose speeches Mr Putin, who is running for re-election this month, boasted of nuclear missiles that could get through America’s defences. He said Russia had developed a new intercontinental ballistic missile “with a practically unlimited range”, a nuclear-powered cruise missile, underwater nuclear drones, plus supersonic and laser weapons. He demonstrated his new power by showing a video of a missile that appeared to be targeting Florida. But yesterday the US led Western allies in condemning Russian aggression. It said Mr Putin’s speech showed Russia had violated its obligations under the IntermediateRange Nuclear Forces treaty.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said: “President Putin has confirmed what the United States government has known all along, which Russia has denied – Russia has been developing destabilising weapons systems for over a decade in direct violations of its treaty obligations.” State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said of the video: “It was certainly unfortunate to have watched the video animation that depicted a nuclear attack on the United States. We don’t regard that as the behaviour of a responsible international player.” Other analysts said that if Mr Putin’s boasts are true, he may have violated another nuclear treaty, the 2010 New START under which any new strategic offensive weapons have to be put before the managing Commission. Germany’s Angela Merkel said she and US President Donald Trump are concerned by Mr Putin’s statement and its “negative implications” for arms control. Nato described Mr Putin’s comments as “unacceptable”, arguing that its missile shield is intended to deter attacks from the Middle East.

Nato spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said in a statement: “Russian statements threatening to target allies are unacceptable and counter-productive. We do not want a new Cold War or arms race. All allies support arms control agreements which build trust and confidence, for everyone’s benefit.” She added: “As we have repeatedly made clear, the alliance’s missile defence is neither designed nor directed against Russia. Our system defends against ballistic missiles from outside the Euro-Atlantic area.” Tension with Russia has soared since Mr Putin’s annexation of the Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. Russia has long feared encirclement by its enemies and bitterly resents the expansion of Nato into its sphere of influence – old Warsaw Pact states such as Romania and Lithuania. Mr Putin has also made an electoral virtue of making Russia a world power again after its decline in the wake of the collapse of communism.</s>In one of his most bellicose speeches in years, Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced an array of new nuclear weapons that he says could hit almost any point in the world and evade a US-built missile shield.

Putin was speaking ahead of an election on March 18 that polls indicate he should win easily. He said a nuclear attack on any of Moscow's allies would be regarded as an attack on Russia itself and draw an immediate response.

It was unclear if he had a particular Russian ally, such as Syria, in mind, but his comments looked like a warning to Washington not to use tactical battlefield nuclear weapons.

His remarks were greeted with scepticism in Washington, where officials cast doubt on whether Russia has added any new capabilities to its nuclear arsenal beyond those already known to the US military and intelligence agencies.

The Pentagon, which recently announced a nuclear policy revamp based partly on the bellicose posture from Moscow, said it was not surprised by Putin's presentation.

"We've been watching Russia for a long time. We're not surprised," Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said.

"These weapons that are discussed have been in development a very long time," she told a news briefing, without addressing any of Putin's specific claims of new capabilities.

John Rood, US under secretary of defense for policy, declined to comment on US intelligence on Russian capabilities.

But, addressing a forum in Washington, Rood generally played down Putin's presentation, saying: "I think it's broadly consistent with things that have been stated before (by) Russian officials."

The Trump administration accused Moscow anew of violating a Cold War-era treaty which banned nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with a range of 500-5,500 kilometres.

"President Putin has confirmed what the United States government has known all along, which Russia has denied: Russia has been developing destabilizing weapons systems for over a decade in direct violations of its treaty obligations," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said.

Putin has often used militaristic rhetoric to mobilise support and buttress his narrative that Russia is under siege from the West. His 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea boosted his ratings to a record high and he has cast his military intervention in Syria as a proud moment for Moscow.

On Thursday, he sought to back his rhetoric with video clips of what he said were some of the new missiles. The images were projected onto a giant screen behind him at a conference hall in central Moscow where he was addressing Russia's political elite.

"They have not succeeded in holding Russia back," said Putin, referring to the West, which he said had ignored Moscow in the past, but would now have to sit up and listen.

"Now they need to take account of a new reality and understand that everything I have said today is not a bluff."</s>Russia has tested an array of new strategic nuclear weapons that cannot be intercepted, President Vladimir Putin says, marking a technological breakthrough that could open a new round in the global arms race.

Russia has tested an array of new strategic nuclear weapons that cannot be intercepted, President Vladimir Putin says, marking a technological breakthrough that could dramatically increase Russia's military capability, boost the Kremlin's global position (Credit: ABC)

Russia has tested an array of new strategic nuclear weapons that cannot be intercepted, President Vladimir Putin says, marking a technological breakthrough that could dramatically increase Russia's military capability, boost the Kremlin's global position and open a new round in the global arms race.

Speaking in the annual state of the nation address, Mr Putin said the weapons included a nuclear-powered cruise missile, a nuclear-powered underwater drone and new hypersonic missiles that have no equivalent elsewhere in the world.

He said the creation of the new weapons had made NATO's US-led missile defence "useless", and meant an effective end to what he described as Western efforts to stymie Russia's development.

"I want to tell all those who have fuelled the arms race over the last 15 years, sought to win unilateral advantages over Russia, introduced unlawful sanctions aimed to contain our country's development: All what you wanted to impede with your policies have already happened," he said.

Mr Putin looks set to easily win another six-year presidential term in the March 18 election.

He said the nuclear-powered cruise missile tested last autumn had a "practically unlimited" range and high speed and manoeuvrability, allowing it to pierce any missile defence.

The Russian leader said the high-speed underwater drone also had an "intercontinental" range and was capable of carrying a nuclear warhead that could target both aircraft carriers and coastal facilities.

He said its operational depth and high speed would make it immune to enemy intercept.

New missile to fly 20 times the speed of sound

Mr Putin noted that the tests of the compact nuclear reactor to power the new drone were completed last autumn.

He added, to applause, that names for the nuclear-powered cruise missile and the drone had not yet been chosen, suggesting the Defence Ministry run a nationwide contest for the best names.

Mr Putin accompanied his statement to an audience of hundreds of senior officials and MPs with videos and computer images of new weapons, which were shown on giant screens at a conference hall near the Kremlin.

The Russian leader said another new weapon called Avangard was an intercontinental hypersonic missile that would fly to targets at a speed 20 times the speed of sound and strike "like a meteorite, like a fireball".

Mr Putin said Russia also tested a new heavy intercontinental ballistic missile, called Sarmat, with a range and number of warheads exceeding its Soviet-era predecessor, known in the West as Satan.

He said that another weapons system, called Kinzhal, had already been deployed in Russia's Southern Military District.

He said it was a hypersonic missile carried by an aircraft that could strike targets 2,000 kilometres away.

Putin threatens to use weapons against attackers

In his speech Mr Putin said Moscow would be ready to use these new weapons not only in response to an attack on Russia but also in defence of its allies.

"The response would be immediate."

The Russian leader emphasised that the development of new weapons that have no equivalent in the West came in response to the US withdrawal from a Cold War-era treaty banning missile defences and US efforts to develop a missile defence system.

He said the US had ignored Russian complaints.

"No-one has listened to us. You listen to us now."

He said the new weapons would help ensure global stability and draw a line under attempts to weaken Russia.</s>MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin announced an array of new nuclear weapons on Thursday, in one of his most bellicose speeches in years, saying they could hit almost any point in the world and evade a U.S.-built missile shield.

Putin was speaking ahead of an election on March 18 that polls indicate he should win easily. He said a nuclear attack on any of Moscow’s allies would be regarded as an attack on Russia itself and draw an immediate response.

It was unclear if he had a particular Russian ally, such as Syria, in mind, but his comments looked like a warning to Washington not to use tactical battlefield nuclear weapons.

His remarks were greeted with scepticism in Washington, where officials cast doubt on whether Russia has added any new capabilities to its nuclear arsenal beyond those already known to the U.S. military and intelligence agencies.

The Pentagon, which recently announced a nuclear policy revamp based partly on the bellicose posture from Moscow, said it was not surprised by Putin’s presentation.

“We’ve been watching Russia for a long time. We’re not surprised,” Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said.

“These weapons that are discussed have been in development a very long time,” she told a news briefing, without addressing any of Putin’s specific claims of new capabilities.

John Rood, U.S. under secretary of defense for policy, declined to comment on U.S. intelligence on Russian capabilities.

But, addressing a forum in Washington, Rood generally played down Putin’s presentation, saying: “I think it’s broadly consistent with things that have been stated before (by) Russian officials.”

The Trump administration accused Moscow anew of violating a Cold War-era treaty which banned nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with a range of 500-5,500 km (300-3,400 miles).

“President Putin has confirmed what the United States government has known all along, which Russia has denied: Russia has been developing destabilizing weapons systems for over a decade in direct violations of its treaty obligations,” White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said.

Putin has often used militaristic rhetoric to mobilise support and buttress his narrative that Russia is under siege from the West. His 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea boosted his ratings to a record high and he has cast his military intervention in Syria as a proud moment for Moscow.

On Thursday, he sought to back his rhetoric with video clips of what he said were some of the new missiles. The images were projected onto a giant screen behind him at a conference hall in central Moscow where he was addressing Russia’s political elite.

“They have not succeeded in holding Russia back,” said Putin, referring to the West, which he said had ignored Moscow in the past, but would now have to sit up and listen.

“Now they need to take account of a new reality and understand that everything I have said today is not a bluff.”

Among weapons that Putin said were either in development or ready was a new intercontinental ballistic missile “with a practically unlimited range” able to attack via the North and South Poles and bypass any missile defence systems.

Putin also spoke of a small nuclear-powered engine that could be fitted to what he said were low-flying, highly manoeuvrable cruise missiles, giving them a practically unlimited range.

The new engine meant Russia was able to make a new type of weapon - nuclear missiles powered by nuclear rather than conventional fuel.

“Nothing like it in the world exists,” Putin told the audience. “At some point it will probably appear (elsewhere) but by that time our guys will have devised something else.”

Other new super weapons he listed included underwater nuclear drones, a supersonic weapon and a laser weapon.

In one of his video clip demos, a weapon appeared to be hovering over what looked like a map of the state of Florida.

“It was certainly unfortunate to have watched the video animation that depicted a nuclear attack on the United States,” State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told a news briefing. “We don’t regard that as the behavior of a responsible international player.”

Putin’s audience, made up of Russian lawmakers and other leading figures, frequently stood up and applauded his presentation, which culminated with the Russian national anthem being played.

Earlier in the speech, he had struck a very different tone, ordering officials to halve the number of Russians living in poverty by sharply boosting social and infrastructure spending in an obvious pre-election pitch to voters.

Putin, who has dominated his country’s political landscape for the last 18 years, said the technological advances meant that NATO’s build-up on Russia’s borders and the roll-out of a U.S. anti-missile system would be rendered useless.

“I hope that everything that was said today will sober up any potential aggressor,” said Putin.

“Unfriendly steps towards Russia such as the deployment of the (U.S.) anti-missile system and of NATO infrastructure nearer our borders and such like, from a military point of view, will become ineffective.”

Steps to contain Russia would also become unjustifiably expensive and pointless, he forecast.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said in a statement after the speech that the new weapons Putin had unveiled meant that NATO’s missile defence shield, in Poland, Romania and Alaska and planned elements in South Korea and Japan was like an umbrella that was full of holes.

“I don’t know why they would now buy such an ‘umbrella’,” Shoigu said, referring to Seoul and Tokyo.

The United States has long asserted that U.S. missile defenses are incapable of halting a large-scale attack by a major nuclear power, like Russia or China, due in part to the limited number of U.S. missile interceptors.

Instead, the technology is aimed at what the United States views as “rogue” states, such as Iran or North Korea.

“They know very well that it’s not about them. Our missile defense has never been about them,” White said.

She added that the U.S. focus in addressing Russia’s nuclear modernization was strengthening America’s own nuclear forces to serve as a deterrent.

Lisbeth Gronlund, senior scientist and co-director of the Global Security Program of the Union of Concerned Scientists, said Putin’s announcement of a missile with a nuclear-powered engine, even if true, would change little when it came to the Russian threat since Russia already has large numbers of ICBMs.

Putin also voiced concerns about a new U.S. nuclear doctrine, saying Russia’s own doctrine was defensive and only envisaged the use of nuclear weapons in response to an attack.

Russia has repeatedly said it is keen to hold talks with the United States about the balance of strategic nuclear power and Putin put Washington and other nuclear powers on notice.

“We will view any use of nuclear weapons against Russia or its allies, be it of small, medium or any force, as a nuclear attack on our country,” he said.

“Our response will be immediate. Nobody should have any doubts about that.”

Putin said that Russia did not plan to attack anyone, however. Russia’s growing military might was a guarantee of world peace, he said, designed to preserve a strategic balance of power on the planet.</s>President Vladimir Putin today launched what appeared to be the start of a new arms race with Washington, as he boasted of a new generation of "invincible" Russian weapons developed in response to the threat posed by the United States.

Putin praised Russia's new hypersonic missiles and cutting-edge submarines during a state of the nation address that also touched on economic and social policy ahead of a presidential election this month he is widely expected to win.

The president usually delivers the annual speech in the Kremlin but this year spoke from a nearby exhibition centre -- allowing him to show a series of slick video montages of missiles manoeuvring across mountains and oceans, and heading over the Atlantic.

Putin quoted a speech he gave back in 2004, vowing that Russia would develop a new generation of weaponry, a promise that he said has now been fulfilled.

"No one really wanted to talk to us basically. No one listened to us then. Listen to us now," Putin said, prompting a standing ovation from the audience of top officials, lawmakers and celebrities.

He presented Russia's military efforts as a response to recent actions by the United States, which last month unveiled plans to revamp its nuclear arsenal and develop new low-yield atomic weapons.

The moves come as relations between the global powers plummeted to levels not seen since the Cold War over the conflicts in Ukraine and Syria, and accusations that Moscow interfered in the US presidential election in 2016.

In a speech that ran to almost two hours, Putin showed tests of a new missile system that he said could fly at 20 times the speed of sound and manoeuvre up and down, and is not owned by any other country.

"This makes it absolutely invincible for any forms of air and missile defence," he boasted, calling it an "ideal weapon".

Russia has also developed unmanned underwater devices that move much faster than submarines and torpedoes and can carry nuclear warheads, Putin said, adding: "It's just fantastic!" Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu later said Russian arms would be able to "overcome all existing anti-missile systems" such as those the US intends to deploy in eastern Europe and South Korea.

"This anti-missile 'umbrella' turns out to be a bit 'leaky'," he said in comments released by his ministry.

Putin, who has led Russia for almost two decades and is seeking in the March 18 election a historic fourth Kremlin term that would extend his rule to 2024, also laid out a number of social, economic and environmental measures in the speech.</s>MOSCOW (AP) — An underwater drone armed with a nuclear warhead powerful enough to sweep away coastal facilities and aircraft carriers.

A hypersonic vehicle impossible to intercept as it flies in a cloud of plasma “like a meteorite.”

President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia has these new strategic weapons and many more, declaring: “No one has listened to us. You listen to us now.”

Putin unveiled the stunning catalog of doomsday machines in his annual state-of-the-nation speech, saying that Russia had to build them to counter the potential threat posed by the U.S. missile defense system.

To drive home his point, Putin spoke as a video showed multiple nuclear warheads streaking through space before showering down on what appears to be the outline of the state of Florida.

And in a touch of dark humor, he invited Russians to join a Defense Ministry contest to name some of the weapons.

It wasn’t immediately possible to assess whether the weapons could do what Putin said or how ready they are for deployment, but they would represent a major technological breakthrough that could dramatically bolster Russia’s military capability, boost its global position and trigger a new arms race.

The White House said Putin confirmed what the U.S. has already known: that Russia has been developing “destabilizing weapons systems for over a decade in direct violations of its treaty obligations.”

Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said President Donald Trump understands the threats and that America is “moving forward to modernize our nuclear arsenal and ensure our capabilities are unmatched.”

Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White also said the Defense Department wasn’t surprised, adding that the U.S. military is prepared to defend the nation.

White told Pentagon reporters that U.S. missile defense has never been about Russia.

Washington has consistently argued that missile defense systems in Europe aren’t aimed at Moscow but designed instead to defend against threats from Iran, North Korea and rogue threats.

Putin has shrugged off those arguments and said Thursday that the U.S. plans to develop its missile defense system would “eventually devalue the Russian nuclear arsenal if we sit with our arms folded.”

He said the U.S. has underestimated Russia’s ability to mount a response, aiming for a “unilateral military advantage that could eventually allow it to dictate its terms in other areas.”

The United States should now revise its Russia policy and engage in a serious dialogue on global security, he said.

“You will have to assess that new reality and become convinced that what I said today isn’t a bluff,” he said. “It’s not a bluff, trust me.”

He said the creation of the new weapons has made NATO’s U.S.-led missile defense “useless,” putting an end to what he described as years of Western efforts to sidetrack and weaken Russia.

“I want to tell all those who have fueled the arms race over the last 15 years, sought to win unilateral advantages over Russia, introduced unlawful restrictions and sanctions aimed to contain our country’s development: All what you wanted to impede with your policies has now happened,” he said. “You have failed to contain Russia.”

Putin’s dramatic announcement comes as he seeks another six-year term on March 18, an election he is expected to win easily.

His address was accompanied by videos and computer simulations of the new weapons, shown on giant screens at a conference hall near the Kremlin. The audience of senior officials and lawmakers broke into applause, giving him a standing ovation at one point.

“No one else in the world has anything like that,” Putin said. “It may appear someday, but by that time, we will develop something new.”

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said it was “unfortunate” to watch animation depicting “a nuclear attack on the United States” that accompanied Putin’s speech, calling the video “cheesy” and adding that “we don’t think it’s responsible.”

Putin said the nuclear-powered cruise missile, which was tested last fall, has a “practically unlimited” range, and its high speed and maneuverability allow it to pierce any missile defense.

The high-speed underwater drone also has an “intercontinental” range and is capable of slamming a nuclear warhead into both aircraft carriers and coastal facilities, he said. Its “very big” operational depth and a speed that is many times faster than any other vessel would make it immune to being intercepted by the enemy, he added.

Another new weapon, called Avangard, is an intercontinental hypersonic missile that would fly at 20 times the speed of sound and strike its targets “like a meteorite, like a fireball,” he said.

The weapon is capable of performing sharp maneuvers on its way to targets, making it “absolutely invulnerable for any missile defense system,” Putin added.

Robert Schmucker, a rocket scientist at the Technical University of Munich, voiced skepticism about Putin’s statement, saying in an interview that building nuclear-powered cruise missiles in particular would be technically difficult and basically pointless.

“Why make something complicated when you can make it easy?” he said, adding that he also doubts that Russia has succeeded in building hypersonic missiles.

Tom Plant, director of proliferation and nuclear policy at the defense think-tank RUSI, also said he was not sure how much of the announcement to believe.

“The thing that sounds mad, the nuclear-propulsion thing, is potentially feasible,” he said, adding: “I think it’s insane.”

Plant added that while “Russia already has a ton of systems that can threaten and overwhelm U.S. missile defenses,” Putin’s announcement reflects his country’s concern that the U.S. missile shield could grow powerful enough to become a game-changer.

“The Russians have a genuine worry from their perspective about where U.S. missile defense might go,” Plant said. “So it totally makes sense for them to try and find ways to defeat not what it is now, but what it may become.”

Putin said that Russia also tested a new heavy intercontinental ballistic missile, called Sarmat, which can fly over both the North and the South poles to reach any target. He said it can carry more warheads than the world’s heaviest ICBM, the Soviet-designed missile known in the West as Satan.

To complete the list, he mentioned a smaller hypersonic missile that is already operational and has a range of more than 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles) and a new laser weapon.

Putin emphasized that the new weapons were designed in full compliance to the U.S.-Russian arms control agreements, adding that Russian military experts and diplomats would be ready to discuss new weapons systems with their U.S. counterparts.

“We aren’t threatening anyone, we aren’t going to attack anyone, we aren’t going to take anything from anyone,” he said. “The growing Russian military power will guarantee global peace.”

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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denies White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders' claim that Russia breached any international arms control pacts, after President Vladimir Putin's March 1 speech on nuclear weapons.