US and Japan propose UN resolution urging global ban on nuclear weapons in space
- In Reports
- 12:56 PM, Mar 19, 2024
- Myind Staff
The US ambassador announced that a UN Security Council resolution, sponsored by the United States and Japan, urges all nations to refrain from deploying or developing nuclear weapons in space.
At a UN Security Council meeting, Linda Thomas-Greenfield stated that the placement of nuclear weapons into orbit around the Earth would be unprecedented, dangerous, and unacceptable.
The U.S. and Japan's circulation of a resolution follows the White House's confirmation last month that Russia has acquired a "troubling" anti-satellite weapon capability, despite it not being operational yet.
Russian President Vladimir Putin later declared that Moscow has no intention of deploying nuclear weapons in space, asserting that the country has only developed space capabilities similar to those of the U.S.
The Outer Space Treaty, ratified by 114 countries including the US and Russia, prohibits the deployment of nuclear weapons or any other weapons of mass destruction in orbit. Japan's Foreign Minister emphasized the importance of upholding this prohibition to maintain peaceful outer space.
Thomas-Greenfield emphasized that all treaty parties must pledge to ban nuclear and other destructive weapons, urging member states not yet party to it to join without delay. She stated that the United States anticipates collaborating with other Security Council members to build consensus around the proposed text.
Russia’s deputy U.N. ambassador Dmitry Polyansky dismissed the proposed resolution as "yet another propaganda stunt by Washington," characterizing it as "very politicised" and "divorced from reality." He criticised the text, noting that it had not been crafted by experts or deliberated upon at specialised international forums like the UN Conference on Disarmament or the UN Committee on Outer Space.
Thomas-Greenfield stated that the US aims to engage with treaty parties to enhance confidence in compliance with the ban on nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction in outer space. She added that the U.S. has begun considering strategies to prevent the undetected deployment of nuclear weapons in orbit and plans to collaborate with other state parties as its ideas develop.
Thomas-Greenfield reaffirmed the US's willingness to engage with Russia and China on bilateral arms control issues without preconditions. However, Polyansky of Russia accused the West of attempting to strategically defeat his country and insisted that any interaction would require a review of anti-Russian policies and comprehensive dialogue addressing strategic stability factors.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addressed the council, highlighting the escalation of nuclear warfare risk to its highest level in decades due to geopolitical tensions and mistrust. He referenced the film "Oppenheimer," depicting the role of Robert Oppenheimer, who directed the US. atomic bomb project during World War II, vividly portraying the grim reality of nuclear devastation to millions worldwide. Guterres stressed that humanity cannot endure a repeat of such a catastrophic scenario.
Image source: AP News
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