Russia vetoes UN vote on stopping space arms race
By Christy Cooney
Russia has vetoed a resolution at the UN Security Council calling on all countries to prevent an arms race in outer space.
The draft resolution, put forward by the US and Japan, sought to reaffirm a principle already set out in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty.
The US has warned that Russia is believed to be developing a space-based, anti-satellite nuclear weapon.
Russia said it was “firmly committed” to the existing treaty.
The draft, put forward on Wednesday, called on “all States, in particular those with major space capabilities, to contribute actively to the objective of the peaceful use of outer space and of the prevention of an arms race in outer space.”
It also called on countries to uphold the Outer Space Treaty, under which all parties agreed “not to place in orbit around the Earth any objects carrying nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction”.
Of the council’s 15 members, 13 voted in favour, while Russia – one of five permanent members with a veto – voted against and China abstained.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN, called the move “baffling”.
