Trump claims Russia stole hypersonic missile design

Trump stated that "some bad person gave Russia" the mentioned designs. However, he assured that the United States will have their own "super hypersonic" missiles, which are "even one step better" than those whose plans were allegedly stolen by Russian officials.

Trump promised that the work on creating these missiles would begin "fairly shortly." He also added that future wars will be fought not on battlefields, but in the air, highlighting the importance of drones.

This is not the first time Trump has accused Russia of stealing the hypersonic missile project. In 2020, he claimed that Moscow possesses a "super duper" hypersonic missile whose speed is five times greater than that of a regular missile.

At that time, he also alleged that Russia obtained information about the development of this technology during the Obama administration. Trump reiterated his accusations during one of the rallies in his 2023 election campaign.

The Kremlin responded by stating that Russia "has its beautiful missile." "It’s hard for me to say if our missile fits Mr. Trump's understanding as 'super-super,' but — it’s a good missile, which doesn’t yet have equivalents in the world. And it's not just one," noted Russian President's press secretary Dmitry Peskov.

Officially, Russia has developed several hypersonic missiles: the sea-based "Zircon," the air-launched "Kinzhal," and the land-based "Avangard" (these missiles have a hypersonic maneuverable glide vehicle). In 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that Moscow "de facto" does not use these weapons, but "they do exist."

Trump announced the creation of an American hypersonic missile for the first time in May 2020. At that time, he claimed that it would be 17 times faster than the one considered the fastest in the world and would be able to attack targets at a distance of 1,000 miles.

This missile was tested in March of the same year. Meanwhile, in September 2023, "The Wall Street Journal" reported that the work on hypersonic weapons in the US is still at an early stage, and ready missile models will not enter service for at least another ten years.

In the same interview, Trump said that "I could have made that deal so easily, and Zelensky decided that 'I want to fight.'"

"Zelensky was fighting a much bigger entity, much bigger, much more powerful. Zelensky... shouldn’t have allowed this to happen either. He’s no angel," stated Trump during a conversation with Sean Hannity on Fox News.

Trump also blamed his predecessor for the outbreak of the war. According to him, Biden's statements provoked Russia to aggression. "Putin shouldn't have done it, too. I mean, I'm not blaming only what — Putin shouldn't have done it. He shouldn't have done it, and it has to stop," he noted.