Russian authorities stated this Wednesday that “there is still time” to avoid an arms race in outer space and assured that they were already aware that the United States has deployed weapons in orbit, after Washington confirmed it officially for the first time late Monday.
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Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov pointed out that Washington “did not notify” Moscow of this step, although he emphasized that “it is not news” for Russia, according to the Russian news agency Interfax. “Everything is being monitored, everything is being documented, and appropriate conclusions are being drawn,” he said.
“We have long advocated achieving a legally binding instrument that prevents the deployment of weapons in space, essentially eliminating the use of force or the threat of the use of force against space objects,” he said, before stressing that “the United States and other Western countries, especially the British, have for years used demagogic excuses to cover up their reluctance to move in this direction.”
Thus, he accused these countries of “using various arguments to avoid taking the step, trying to accuse Russia of activities that, according to them, are destabilizing,” although he emphasized that Moscow considers that “there is still time to create a climate that avoids an arms race, with the growing risks of an open conflict in outer space.”
Ryabkov’s words came a day after Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov highlighted the importance of outer space being “free of weapons,” after Washington confirmed the aforementioned deployment of “space control” weapons in orbit to “defend” the country against “hostile adversary actions.”
“We believe that outer space should be free of any kind of weapon,” said the spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who stressed that Moscow “expects broad international consolidation to continue the work and promote positions in favor of the complete demilitarization of space.”
These reactions from the Eurasian country’s authorities come after the United States Air Force Secretary, Troy Meink, confirmed the deployment and noted that Washington “is prepared to face evolving threat challenges wherever they arise.” “The United States now has space control weapons in orbit capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile actions by adversaries,” he concluded.
