On March 10, 2018 at 9:30 pm (Washington time), General Jim Mattis was interviewed by reporters on the plane that was taking him to Oman. Even before questions were asked, the US Secretary of Defense commented on President Putin’s statements to Russian parliamentarians [1].

According to General Mattis, these statements by Putin would be only part of the rhetoric of the presidential election campaign. The weapons described by Vladimir Putin would not be operational for a long time, so could not change the military balance in the present time [2].

In reply, the Russian Federation proceeded the next day to make a successful shot of Kinzhal missile.

The US press reports both events, but changes the chronology, suggesting that General Mattis commented on the firing of the hypersonic missile and not that Russia denied him.

Translation
Marie-Hélène Penhard

[1] “Press Gaggle En Route to Oman”, Press Operations, US Department of Defence, March 10, 2018.

[2] “The new Russian nuclear arsenal restores world bipolarity”, by Thierry Meyssan, Translation Pete Kimberley, Voltaire Network, 6 March 2018.