Ryabkov: There is still a chance to prevent an arms race in space
Amman2 min read
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Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Wednesday that Moscow believes there is a chance to prevent an arms race in space by concluding a legally binding international treaty that prohibits the deployment of offensive weapons in space, calling on the United States and other countries to abandon their concerns about this proposal.
Ryabkov's statements came after the United States acknowledged this week that the Department of Defense is deploying weapons in Earth's orbit, a significant shift in the militarization of space.
US Space Force Commander Douglas Schiess said that his forces are "operating weapons in orbit capable of defending joint forces against attacks that rely on space assets"
During a press conference in Moscow, Ryabkov said that the United States did not inform Russia of its new armament capabilities, but noted that the American announcement was not surprising to Moscow.
He added: "This is not new to us; we are monitoring all of this, recording it in full, and drawing the appropriate conclusions"
Ryabkov explained that Moscow has repeatedly called for an international treaty prohibiting the use or threat of force against assets in space.
He accused the United States and Western countries, particularly the United Kingdom, of using "provocative pretexts" to justify their reluctance to move towards concluding such a treaty, noting that they are, according to him, seeking to avoid committing to it by accusing Russia of activities they consider destabilizing.
Ryabkov emphasized that the international community still has time to work to prevent an arms race in space, warning that such a race could increase the likelihood of an open conflict in outer space.
