Russia denies U.S. allegations of space nuclear weapons deployment

Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed allegations by the United States regarding Russia’s purported deployment of nuclear weapons in space.

Putin, alongside Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, unequivocally denied the U.S. assertion that Moscow was actively working on a space-based nuclear capability.

“Our position is clear and transparent: We have always been categorically against and are now against the deployment of nuclear weapons in space,” Putin told Sergei Shoigu, his defence minister.

According to a reliable source, the U.S. government suspects Russia of developing a space-based anti-satellite nuclear weapon.

The potential deployment of such a weapon has raised concerns about its disruptive impact on various systems, from military communications to civilian services like phone-based ride-sharing.

President Putin reiterated Russia’s longstanding opposition to the placement of nuclear weapons in space, emphasizing transparency and adherence to existing agreements.

He urged collaboration to reinforce joint efforts in space exploration while asserting that Russia’s space activities align with global norms.

“We urge not only compliance with all agreements that exist in this area, but also offered to strengthen this joint work many times,” Putin said.

The U.S. government’s position gained public attention when a White House spokesperson stated that the alleged Russian system would violate the Outer Space Treaty, signed in 1967.

The treaty prohibits signatory nations, including Russia and the U.S., from placing “in orbit around the earth any objects carrying nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction.”

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Russian Defense Minister Shoigu refuted the U.S. claims, stating that there were no ongoing projects involving nuclear weapons in space.

“Firstly, there are no such projects – nuclear weapons in space. Secondly, the United States knows that this does not exist,” Shoigu told Putin.

He accused the White House of using the allegations to prompt increased funding for Ukraine, suggesting it was part of a broader strategy to strategically defeat Russia.

Shoigu pointed out that the leaked information aimed to initiate a dialogue on strategic stability between Russia and the United States. He highlighted the deteriorating arms control architecture since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

President Putin, while not dismissing talks on strategic stability with the U.S. at defense and foreign ministry levels, expressed skepticism.

He asserted that discussions should not be detached from what he perceived as the West’s overarching goal to defeat Russia, emphasizing the need to understand the true intentions behind such dialogues.

“If they seek to inflict a strategic defeat on us, then we must think about what strategic stability means for our country.

“Therefore, we do not reject anything, we do not give up anything, but we need to figure out what they want. They usually want to achieve unilateral advantages. That’s not going to happen,” Putin said.