Putin says Russia has no intention of putting nuclear weapons in space | World News – Business standard
Russian President Vladimir Putin (Photo: PTI)
Russian President Vladimir Putin declared on Tuesday that Moscow has no plans to use nuclear weapons in space, claiming the country has only developed space capabilities comparable to those of the US.
Putin’s statement follows the White House’s confirmation last week that Russia has a troubling anti-satellite weapons capability, although no such weapon is yet operational. White House national security spokesman John Kirby said it would violate the international space treaty but declined to comment on whether the weapon is nuclear capable.
The treaty, signed by more than 130 countries, including Russia, bans the use of nuclear weapons or other types of weapons of mass destruction in orbit, or the stationing of weapons in space in any other way. The White House said it would try to address the Russians’ concerns directly.
Our position is very clear and transparent: we are and always will be categorically opposed to the use of nuclear weapons in space, Putin said. On the contrary: we urge everyone to adhere to all agreements in this area.
During a meeting with his Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu, Putin noted that Russia has only developed space capabilities that other countries, including the US, have.
“And they know it,” he added.
We have not deployed nuclear weapons in space, nor any elements thereof, to be used against satellites or to create fields where satellites cannot operate efficiently, Shoigu said.
Shoigu claimed the White House could have leveled accusations of a new Russian space capability to force Congress to back aid to Ukraine and also encourage Moscow to resume nuclear arms control talks that Russia has suspended over tensions with the US over Ukraine .
Putin did not rule out possible future contacts with the US, but reaffirmed his position that Washington’s push for Russia’s defeat in Ukraine makes them impossible for the time being.
“The US and the West, on the one hand, are calling for the strategic defeat of Russia, while on the other hand they are eager to engage in dialogue on strategic stability, pretending that these issues are unrelated,” he said. it works.
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First print: February 21, 2024 | 12:16 pm IST