Russia blocked a resolution in the UN Security Council on the non-placement of nuclear weapons in space

Russia blocked a draft resolution on the non-placement of nuclear weapons in space, prepared by the United States and Japan, in the UN Security Council, according to the UN website.

The resolution was supported by 13 of the 15 countries participating in the UN Security Council. China abstained from voting.

The draft resolution, as noted by the UN, stated that a nuclear explosion or the use of any other type of weapon of mass destruction in space could have serious consequences for all countries. The authors of the resolution called for not developing nuclear weapons or any other types of weapons of mass destruction intended for placement in orbit around the Earth.

The document also calls for “actively promoting the goal of the peaceful use of outer space and preventing an arms race in outer space.”

The Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, said before the vote that the document is aimed at deepening the split among the members of the UN Security Council. Russia and China proposed an amendment calling on all countries to “permanently prevent the placement of weapons in outer space and the use or threat of force in outer space.”

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova explained that Russia vetoed the resolution because “the fundamental amendments we proposed were ignored.”

According to American media reports, US authorities fear that Russia is preparing to deploy nuclear weapons in space. The head of the US National Security Council, John Kirby, said that Russia was developing anti-satellite weapons, and therefore the US began direct diplomatic interaction with Russia and other countries. According to The New York Times, the United States has asked India and China to dissuade Russia from a move “that could spell disaster.” The Kremlin called reports about the development of new weapons a “trick” by Washington and pointed out that the United States does not communicate with the Russian Federation.