US and Japan seek UN resolution calling on all nations to ban nuclear weapons in outer space
UNITED NATIONS — The United States and Japan support a UN Security Council resolution calling on all countries not to deploy or develop nuclear weapons in space, the US ambassador announced on Monday.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield told a UN Security Council meeting that “any deployment of nuclear weapons into orbit would be unprecedented, dangerous and unacceptable.”
The announcement that the US and Japan have circulated a resolution follows the White House’s confirmation last month that Russia has a “concerning” anti-satellite weapons capability, although no such weapon is yet operational.
Russian President Vladimir Putin later stated that Moscow has no plans to deploy nuclear weapons in space, claiming that the country has only developed space capabilities comparable to those of the US.
The Outer Space Treaty, ratified by approximately 114 countries including the United States and Russia, bans the deployment of “nuclear weapons or other types of weapons of mass destruction” into orbit, or the stationing of “weapons in outer space by any other means” .
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, who chaired the council meeting, said that even during the “confrontational environment” of the Cold War, rivals agreed to ensure space remained peaceful. That ban on putting weapons of mass destruction into orbit must be enforced today, she said.
Thomas-Greenfield said all parties to the treaty must commit to the ban on nuclear weapons and other destructive weapons, “and we must urge all Member States that are not yet parties to it to accede without delay.”
She said the United States looks forward to working with other members of the 15-nation Security Council “to forge consensus around this text.”
Russia’s deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyansky said Moscow’s first impression is that the proposed resolution is “yet another propaganda stunt by Washington”, “highly politicized” and “detached from reality”.
He criticized the text, saying the wording had not been developed by experts nor discussed in specialized international platforms such as the UN Conference on Disarmament or the UN Outer Space Committee.
Outside the Security Council, Thomas-Greenfield said the US is interested in working with parties to the treaty “to explore ways to increase confidence in compliance with the ban on nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in space.
“The United States has already begun considering approaches to ensure that countries cannot deploy nuclear weapons undetected in orbit, and we plan to work with other state parties as our ideas develop “, she said.
Thomas-Greenfield also reiterated to the council that the United States is willing to engage Russia and China now, without preconditions, on bilateral arms control issues.
But Russia’s Polyansky accused the West of “wanting to inflict a strategic defeat on my country.”
“Any interaction will only be possible if the United States and NATO revise their anti-Russian course, and if they demonstrate their willingness to engage in a comprehensive dialogue, taking into account all these strategic stability factors and addressing all concerns that we are talking about our safety,” he said.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres briefed the council, saying that “geopolitical tensions and mistrust have escalated the risk of nuclear war to the highest point in decades.”
He said the film “Oppenheimer,” about Robert Oppenheimer, who directed the U.S. project that developed the atomic bomb during World War II, “brought to life the harsh reality of nuclear disaster for millions around the world.”
“Humanity cannot survive an Oppenheimer sequel,” the UN chief said.