Russia on Friday condemned an executive order by U.S. President Donald Trump to build a new missile defence shield, accusing the United States of trying to upset the global nuclear balance and pave the wave for military confrontation in space.

For decades, the idea of a nationwide missile defense system has captured the imagination of American leaders. During the Cold War, President Ronald Reagan introduced the Strategic Defense Initiative,

President Donald Trump’s executive order to create a “next-generation missile defense shield” that can “defend its citizens and critical infrastructure against—any foreign aerial attack on the Homeland” is technically and budgetarily difficult at best,