Russia Blocks US and Japan’s UN Resolution Preventing Dangerous Nuclear Arms Race in Space

Russia disagreed with the recent UN resolution calling all countries to avoid the development and deployment of nuclear arms in space. However, most of the countries present supported the resolution.

Russia Vetoed UN Resolution

On Wednesday, Russia vetoed a U.N. resolution, supported by both Japan and the United States, urging all countries to stop a risky nuclear arms race in space, branding it as "a dirty spectacle" that separates weapons of mass destruction from all other weapons that ought to be prohibited.

Thirteen members of the fifteen-member Security Council voted in favor, while China abstained.

The resolution would have demanded that all nations agree to the necessity of verifying compliance and refrain from developing or deploying nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in space, as prohibited by an international convention signed in 1967 by the United States and Russia.

Following the vote, U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had declared Moscow's desire to refrain from placing nuclear weapons in orbit.

"Today's veto begs the question: Why? Why, if you are following the rules, would you not support a resolution that reaffirms them? What could you possibly be hiding," Thomas-Greenfield asked. "It's baffling. And it's a shame."

Vassily Nebenzia, Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, denounced the resolution as completely ludicrous and politicized. He also claimed it fell short of fully outlawing any weapons in space.

Russia and China proposed an amendment to the U.S.-Japan draft, suggesting that all nations, particularly those possessing significant space capabilities, should avoid the placement of weapons and the threat of use of force in outer space for all time.

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Russia To Launch New Space Station in 2027

In related news, Vladimir Putin is determined to launch Russia's own space station. The Russian President announced the plan last year.

"As the ISS's resources deplete, we need to bring the full station into service, not just one portion," Putin said when he visited a rocket corporation in Korolyov, a city outside of Moscow. "And in 2027, the first segment should be placed in orbit."

The International Space Station (ISS) has represented international cooperation and diplomacy since its launch in 1998. However, Russia declared its resignation from the project after the conflict in Ukraine primarily cut off Russia from the West.

Roscosmos chief Yuri Borisov said Russia needs to launch its station as soon as possible to maintain its competitiveness. This comprises a joint effort bf the United States, Europe, Canada, and Jap space agencies.

According to Borisov, the International Space Station (ISS) will cease to exist in 2030 due to aging. He stated that Russia would lose capabilities owing to the time difference if it did not begin the large-scale development of its orbital station by the end of 2023

Currently, China's Tiangong Space Station and the International Space Station are the only space stations in orbit. As the cost of space travel continues to decline, private corporations are keen to create their own spacecraft.