Members of the UN Security Council did not adopt a draft resolution on the non-deployment of nuclear weapons in outer space. It was reported by “Interfax” agency.
During the voting, 13 countries supported the project, China abstained. Russia used the right of veto.
Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated that “first of all, it was connected with the fact that the fundamental changes we proposed were ignored.”
“We reaffirm the strict commitment of the Russian Federation to international legal obligations in the field of space law, including the 1967 to the Outer Space Treaty. “We emphasize our firm readiness to promptly agree and conclude a comprehensive international legally binding agreement on the prevention of an arms race in outer space,” Zakharova said.
US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield reminded that Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly stated that Russia has no intention of deploying nuclear weapons in space.
“If this is so, then today’s veto raises the question: why?” “If you follow the rules, why don’t you support the resolution that reaffirms them,” he said.
The draft resolution was developed by the United States in cooperation with Japan. It states that “our common goal is to prevent an arms race in outer space” and calls for compliance with the Outer Space Treaty obligations, specifically “not to place nuclear weapons or any weapons of mass destruction in orbit around the Earth.”
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