The UN Security Council seems to be approaching the confrontation between the United States and Russia regarding the issue of nuclear weapons in space. On Wednesday, there should be a vote for a resolution proposed by the United States, which calls for countries to stop competing in space in space.
It is predicted that Russia will veto this draft resolution.
The United States initiative appeared after Moscow's charges in the development of sipping nuclear weapons for space in space. The Russian Minister of Defense has rejected these accusations.
US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas Grinfield and Japan Ambassador to the UN Yamazaki Kazuyuyuki said that within six weeks he was negotiating with other members of the Security Council on the text of the resolution.
This text reflects the obligations of the countries that have signed the Cosmos Treaty, comply with its provisions and urges countries to actively work to ensure the peaceful use of space and prevent competition in space in space.
The 1967 outer space agreement prohibits the parties to be signed, including Russia and the USA, to orbit the land with nuclear weapons or any other types of mass destruction.
Russia and China are planning to vote a amendment, which repeats their proposal from 2008 on the Agreement on the ban on "any weapons in space" and "Threats or the use of force against space objects".
According to diplomatic sources, the likelihood of adopting this amendment is minimal. It takes at least nine votes for its adoption and the lack of veto by Russia, China, the United States, the United Kingdom or France.
"Without our amendment, based on the resolution of the General Assembly, adopted in December 2023, the submitted text will become unbalanced, harmful and politicized," Dmitry Polyansky said Reuters to Reuters. He added that it will also undermine the legal regime in space.
Polyansky emphasized that all issues related to this sphere should be considered by the full composition of the States Parties to the Treaty, and not just members of the UN Security Council.
According to sources in US intelligence, Russian opportunities discussed include a space -based nuclear bomb, the electromagnetic radiation of which can disconnect a large network of satellites in the case of detonation.
A spokesman for the White House National Security Council John Kirby said Russia had not yet unfolded such weapons. In February, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia opposed the placement of nuclear weapons in space.
Governments are increasingly considering the Earth's satellites as key assets that provide a variety of military capabilities on Earth. Space connection and connected drones in the war in Ukraine are the last example of the importance of space in modern conflicts.
