UNITED NATIONS (AP) 鈥 The United States and Japan are sponsoring a U.N. Security Council resolution calling on all nations not to deploy or develop nuclear weapons in space, the U.S. ambassador announced Monday.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield told a U.N. Security Council meeting that 鈥渁ny placement of nuclear weapons into orbit around the Earth would be unprecedented, dangerous, and unacceptable.鈥
The announcement that the U.S. and Japan had circulated a resolution follows last month that Russia has obtained a 鈥渢roubling鈥 capability, although such a weapon is not operational yet.
Russian President Vladimir Putin declared later that Moscow has in space, claiming that the country has only developed space capabilities similar to those of the U.S.
The Outer Space Treaty ratified by about 114 countries including the United States and Russia prohibits the deployment of 鈥渘uclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction鈥 in orbit or the stationing of 鈥渨eapons in outer space in any other manner.鈥
Japan鈥檚 Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, who chaired the council meeting, said that even during 鈥渢he confrontational environment鈥 of the Cold War, the rivals agreed to ensure that outer space remained peaceful. That prohibition on putting any weapons of mass destruction into orbit must be upheld today, she said.
Thomas-Greenfield said all parties to the treaty must commit to the ban on nuclear and other destructive weapons, 鈥渁nd we must urge all member states who are not yet party to it to accede to it without delay.鈥
She said the United States looks forward to engaging with the other members of the 15-nation Security Council 鈥渢o forge consensus around this text.鈥
Russia鈥檚 deputy U.N. ambassador Dmitry Polyansky said Moscow's initial impression is that the proposed resolution is 鈥測et another propaganda stunt by Washington,鈥 鈥渧ery politicized鈥 and 鈥渄ivorced from reality.鈥
He criticized the text, saying the wording wasn鈥檛 worked out by experts nor discussed at specialized international platforms such as the U.N. Conference on Disarmament or the U.N. Committee on Outer Space.
Outside the Security Council, Thomas-Greenfield said the U.S. is interested in engaging with parties to the treaty 鈥渢o explore ways to increase confidence in compliance鈥 with the ban on nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in outer space.
鈥淭he United States has already begun considering approaches to help ensure that countries cannot deploy nuclear weapons in orbit undetected, and we intend to engage with other states parties as our ideas evolve,鈥 she said.
Thomas-Greenfield also reiterated to the council the United States is willing to engage Russia and China right now, without preconditions, on bilateral arms control issues.
But Russia鈥檚 Polyansky accused the West of 鈥渢rying to inflict strategic defeat on my country.鈥
鈥淎ny interaction will only be possible if the United States and NATO review their anti- Russian course, and when they show that they are ready to participate in comprehensive dialogue, taking into account all of those strategic stability factors and removing all of the concerns that we have about our security,鈥 he said.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres briefed the council, saying 鈥済eopolitical tensions and mistrust have escalated to its highest point in decades.鈥
He said the movie about Robert Oppenheimer, who directed the U.S. project during World War II that developed the atomic bomb, 鈥渂rought the harsh reality of nuclear doomsday to vivid life for millions around the world.鈥
鈥淗umanity cannot survive a sequel to Oppenheimer,鈥 the U.N. chief said.
