Russia condemns Trump’s "Star Wars" missile defense plan

Russia strongly criticized a new missile defense initiative proposed by US President Donald Trump, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.

On Friday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova expressed concern over the proposed system, likening it to past US efforts to establish space-based defense measures.

"We regard this as yet another confirmation of the US intent to turn space into an arena of armed confrontation and to deploy weapons there," Zakharova stated.

Trump’s plan, which aims to develop an advanced missile shield reminiscent of Israel’s "Iron Dome," has drawn comparisons to the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) introduced by President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, commonly known as "Star Wars." Zakharova dismissed the new proposal as an extension of that "odious" Cold War-era program.