Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov
© Russian Foreign Ministry Press Office/TASS

Russia, US Dialog on Non-deployment
of  Nuclear Weapons in Space
TASS Russian News Agency

MOSCOW (April 11, 2024) — Delegations from Russia and the United States are in touch on the issue of non-deployment of nuclear weapons in space at the relevant international platforms, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has told the media.

“Our delegations at relevant international platforms, and first of all in New York, where the US Administration is pushing ahead with accusations against Russia, are in touch and discussing this issue,” Ryabkov said.

“From our side, exhaustive comments have been made at all levels: Russia’s president and minister of foreign affairs have made statements on this score and the same topic has been touched upon several times at news briefings by the Russian Foreign Ministry’s official representatives.”

Ryabkov said that the United States was trying to smear Russia, telling tales about Moscow’s alleged plans to deploy weapons in outer space.

“This (US accusations – TASS) is nothing more than another attempt to find pretexts to smear Moscow’s policies. We repeat once again for those who have not yet memorized this, that Russia is fully committed to its obligations under multilateral agreements, including those related to outer space,” Ryabkov said. “These agreements speak for themselves. We will also continue to promote initiatives concerning the prevention of an arms race in outer space and no first placement of weapons in space.”

Ryabkov recalled that it was the US and its satellites that kept working against Russian initiatives in recent years.

“Their falsehoods, their attempts to add more incredible tales to the endless anti-Russian narrative are unable to knock us off course,” Ryabkov added. “We will stay in touch with the world majority in order to keep space peaceful and achieve a situation where there will be no threat to anyone from there: neither for countries, nor for technology, nor for the ability to carry out normal communication.”

Ryabkov stressed that there should be no strike weapons in space.

“Space is used, of course, for military purposes, but there should be no weapons there,” he concluded.