Russia accused both the United States and Japan of hypocrisy, while defending its veto of a United Nations resolution banning nuclear weapons in outer space.
The Associated Press reported that Vasily Nebenzia, Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations, accused both the United States and Japan, which sponsored the rejected resolution, of “hypocrisy and double standards.”
He also accused the United States and Western countries of planning military exploration of outer space, which includes the deployment of weapons, especially strike combat systems.
Moscow has drafted a competing resolution calling for a ban on all weapons in space forever, and the Russian position poses a challenge to Washington, Tokyo and their Western allies.
For his part, Robert Wood, Deputy US Ambassador to the United Nations, responded before the UN General Assembly, saying: “The truth is that Russia currently has several conventional anti-satellite weapons already in orbit, and it tested one of them in 2019.”
He added that Russia threatened to target satellites with weapons, and that there is “reliable information that Russia is working to develop a new satellite that carries a nuclear device.”
The verbal exchange came with Russia threatening to strike British military facilities, as it said it was planning to organize exercises simulating the use of tactical nuclear weapons on the battlefield, in response to comments by prominent Western officials about the possibility of their deeper involvement in the Ukrainian war.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric noted: “Current nuclear risks are at a worryingly high level.”
He added: “All measures that may lead to miscalculation and escalation that lead to catastrophic consequences should be avoided.”
The US-Japanese draft resolution called on all countries not to develop or deploy nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in space, as prohibited by a 1967 international treaty ratified by the United States and Russia, and to agree to the need to verify such compliance.
Before the US-Japan resolution was put to a vote on April 24, Russia and China proposed an amendment calling on all countries, especially those with space programs, to “absolutely prevent the placement of weapons in outer space, and prevent the threat of use of force.” In outer space.”
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