Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov reiterated President Putin’s previous assertion that Russia has no plans to withdraw from the treaty that prohibits the placement of nuclear weapons in space.
During a recent discussion, Ryabkov stated that any conversation with the United States about nuclear weapons in space would be futile.
This statement, reported by the Russian state-owned news agency Tass, emphasized Ryabkov’s view that such discussions with Washington could not lead to any significant progress.
Previously, anonymous sources who spoke to CBS claimed that the United States had directly warned Russia about anti-satellite nuclear weapons and had urged India and China to do the same.
Ryabkov expressed his frustration with the United States’ tendency to break agreements and leak classified information, making any form of dialogue impossible.
The debate about the potential militarization of space with nuclear weapons gained traction last week. This was when Mike Turner, Chairman of the US Intelligence Committee, announced a serious national security threat. Turner urged President Joe Biden to declassify information about the threat to allow for an open discussion.
Shortly after, international media outlets reported that the security threat mentioned by Turner was allegedly linked to Russia’s plans to deploy nuclear weapons in space. However, these reports suggested that such weapons would not target Earth but aim to destroy satellites.
In response to these allegations, Ryabkov categorically dismissed them as unfounded and absurd. He further emphasized that the United States had failed to provide any evidence supporting their claims about Russia’s plans.
Despite his candid remarks about the difficulty of negotiating with the United States, Ryabkov frequently referenced President Putin’s earlier statement. This statement reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to the treaty that restricts the placement of nuclear weapons in space.
This treaty, established in 1967, bans the positioning of nuclear weapons or weapons of mass destruction in space or on celestial bodies. It has been signed by over 130 countries.
