US considering arming AUKUS submarines with nuclear warheads — Russian MFA

GENEVA, September 18. /TASS/. The United States is openly considering the possibility of arming SSN-AUKUS submarines with strategic nuclear warheads, Russian Foreign Ministry Ambassador-at-Large Andrey Belousov said at the 70th session of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference in Vienna.

AUKUS is a trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. One of its key areas of cooperation is the creation of a nuclear-powered submarine fleet for Australia.

"SSN-AUKUS submarines are technically capable of carrying strategic warheads, and the United States is openly considering them as potential carriers of such weapons. Moreover, if the relevant decision is made, all the necessary infrastructure for this purpose will already have been established in Australia. We can see from open sources that the United States and the United Kingdom are moving full steam ahead with the military development of Australian territory," he said.

The diplomat explained that military contingents are being deployed in Australia and infrastructure is being built there to accommodate the weapons of nuclear-armed states.