UNITED NATIONS: The United States and Russia are set for a showdown at the United Nations Security Council over nuclear weapons in space on Wednesday, which is due to vote on a US-drafted resolution asking countries to stop an arms race in outer space.
According to some diplomats Russia is expected to veto the resolution. The US move comes after Washington blamed Moscow for developing an anti-satellite nuclear weapon to put in space, an accusation that Russia’s defense minister has denied flatly.
US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield and Japan’s UN Ambassador Yamazaki Kazuyuki in a joint statement on Friday said that they have been in talks with the UN Security Council members on the draft resolution for the past six weeks.
The text urges countries to comply with the Outer Space Treaty obligations and calls on the nations to actively contribute to achieve the objective of the peaceful use of outer space and prevent an arms race in the sphere.
The 1967 Outer Space Treaty bars signatories – including Russia and the United States from sending objects carrying nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction into the orbit of the Earth.
Russia, China to propose amendment
Russia and China are planning to first propose an amendment to a vote in the council. The diplomats say the amendment is not expected to be adopted by the UNSC.
Deputy Russian UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy told the media that the draft resolution would undermine the Outer Space Treaty legal regime. He said without the Russian amendment based on the General Assembly resolution adopted in December 2023, the text presented by the US will be politicized harmful, and unbalanced.
Polyanskiy went on to say all questions about this sphere should be considered by the full membership of States Parties and not by the UN Security Council members only.
Russian President Vladimir Putin in February said that Moscow was against the deployment of nuclear weapons in space.
