Russia Defends UNSC Veto and Proposes Rival Resolution

Ibadan, 10 May 2024. – Sequel to Russia’s veto of the UN Security Council resolution to prohibit the placement of nuclear weapons in space, Russia has defended its veto decision and also called for support of its rival resolution to prohibit the placement of any kind of weapons in outer space for all time.

Vassily Nebenzia, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Russia explained why his delegation voted against the United States’s draft resolution. The Ambassador noted that the text failed to address its declared goal because that objective was already under the scope of existing international agreements and voiced concern that the resolution could have had “far-reaching consequences” for disarmament processes.

Another concern the Russian delegation raised was that the United States and its allies opposed a ban on all weapons in outer space because of their plan to deploy weapons there and hold out the threat of using force in outer space. Nebenzia told the Security Council that the resolution it vetoed didn’t go far enough in banning all types of weapons in space as it focused solely on weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear arms, and made no mention of other weapons in space.

The Chinese delegation also shared similar concerns as the Russian delegation. Fu Cong, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of China, stated, “The draft resolution on outer space security previously proposed by the US and Japan is neither comprehensive nor balanced, which China is not in a position to support.” He also added, “China supports the Russian draft resolution and looks forward to its early agreement among Council members to jointly safeguard mutual trust and cooperation among all parties on the issue of outer space.”