Russia Stands Ready to Sign Agreement on Banning All Weapons in Outer Space, Envoy Says
09:45 25.04.2024 (Updated: 09:46 25.04.2024)
© ANDREW BURTON
Subscribe
UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - On Wednesday, Russia vetoed the US- and Japan-sponsored UN Security Council draft resolution prohibiting the use of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in outer space after the Council rejected a Russian-Chinese amendment to extend the ban on the placement of any type of weapons in space, rather than just the WMDs.
Russia stands ready to sign an agreement that would prohibit any weapons in outer space but does not agree with the US- and Japan-sponsored draft resolution that solely focuses on weapons of mass destruction, Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia said on Wednesday.
"For the record, I'd like to state again we're prepared to sign an international quarterly binding agreement. We can even do it tomorrow. An agreement which would contain a comprehensive ban on the placement of weapons of any kind, not just WMDs in outer space […] These WMDs are already prohibited by the Outer Space Treaty," Nebenzia said during a meeting of the UN Security Council.
US Will Continue to Comply With Arms Control Obligations After UNSC Vote, Envoy States
After the rejection of the resolution, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that the United States will continue to adhere to its arms control obligations and constructively engage to seek new ones.
“We will continue to comply with existing arms control obligations and engage constructively in new ones,” Thomas-Greenfield told the Security Council members. “But let me be clear in no way does this vote undermine the obligations Russia or any other state party continues to have under the Outer Space Treaty.”
