White House: US expects Russia's vote on UN resolution to ban nuclear weapons in space
The U.S. expects Russia to support a resolution at the U.N. Security Council warning countries against placing nuclear weapons in orbit, U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on April 4, according to Bloomberg.
Kirby's statement came weeks after claims that Moscow could deploy a nuclear anti-satellite weapon or a mock warhead into space this year. U.S. President Joe Biden later said that Russia was indeed developing an anti-satellite space weapon, but it did not endanger people on Earth, adding that there has not yet been a decision to launch the weapon into space.
The U.S. and Japanese resolution says that countries "should not develop nuclear weapons or any other weapons of mass destruction intended to be placed in orbit."
It is expected to be brought to a vote next week, and Washington "looks forward" to Moscow backing the resolution, Kirby said.
"We have heard President (Vladimir) Putin say that Russia has no intention of deploying nuclear weapons in space. There should be no reason why not (voting), and if they do, then I think that should open up some really legitimate questions to Mr. Putin about what his intentions really are," Kirby said.
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The U.S. and its allies were trying to dissuade Russia from deploying the capability through China and India, which were deemed to have more influence on the Kremlin, Bloomberg's unnamed sources said earlier.
Moscow has repeatedly resorted to nuclear saber-rattling throughout the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, threatened on Feb. 18 to use nuclear weapons against the U.S., the U.K., Germany, and Ukraine if Moscow loses all occupied Ukrainian territories.
Critics say such statements are bluff rather than Russia's genuine plans and are intended to scare the West into making concessions.
The Kremlin refuted the warning, saying it was a "malicious fabrication."
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