The United States Department of Defense will postpone its Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile test launch scheduled for this week, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby (pictured) announced on Wednesday.
The Pentagon took that step "in an effort to demonstrate that we have no intention in engaging in any actions that could be misunderstood or misconstrued," especially considering that Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered his country's nuclear forces to be on high alert last weekend, Kirby added.
The decision was not taken "lightly" but it showed that the US is a "responsible nuclear power," according to the Pentagon official. "This is not a step backwards in our readiness nor does it imply that will necessarily cancel other routine activities to ensure a credible nuclear capability," he also noted.
