Russia alleged on Tuesday that the US was attempting to place weapons in space, the latest accusation in an ongoing spat that comes a day after Washington vetoed a Russian non-proliferation motion at the United Nations.
In a statement, Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated, “They have once again demonstrated that their true priorities in the area of outer space are aimed not at keeping space free from weapons of any kind, but at placing weapons in space and turning it into an arena for military confrontation”.
In recent months, the two nations have exchanged several accusations of attempting to weaponize space.
In February, Washington expressed alarm over an anti-satellite capability that Russia has developed after US media sources claimed that security agencies informed its allies that Russia may send a nuclear bomb into orbit.
Moscow denounced the accusations as malicious and unfounded, claiming it does not have such systems.
Russia has since levied similar claims against the United States.
As part of the dispute, the countries proposed opposing nonproliferation resolutions at the United Nations.
Russia vetoed the US effort last month, and Moscow’s proposal was rejected by the US, UK, and France in a vote on Monday.
Moscow claimed that the US initiative focused solely on nuclear weapons and that Washington had no serious interest in a total ban on weapons in space.
US envoy Robert Wood dismissed Russia’s proposal, which called on all countries to take urgent measures to prevent for all time the placement of weapons in outer space, as a distraction, accusing Moscow of diplomatic gaslighting.
Zakharova stated on Tuesday that Russia will continue to make an unwavering contribution to keeping outer space free of weapons of any kind and preventing it from becoming another sphere of tension and armed confrontation.
Despite a swathe of Western sanctions and deteriorating relations as a result of Russia’s onslaught on Ukraine, space remains a unique domain where the two countries may still cooperate.
Both countries transfer crew members to and from the International Space Station (ISS), where their astronauts are stationed together.
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