US preparing UNSC resolution to warn against nuclear weapons in space

By Alberto Nardelli and Peter Martin

The US is preparing a United Nations Security Council resolution that would warn against deploying nuclear weapons in space, people familiar with the matter said, as it seeks to dissuade Russia from potential plans to put a warhead in orbit.

The resolution would be introduced while Japan is president of the Security Council this month, according to the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations. It would likely reiterate countries’ obligations under the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which bans nuclear weapons in orbit. 

 

The draft is in the early stages and hasn’t been widely circulated, the people said. The Security Council is already set to discuss nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation in a meeting on March 18.

“Parties to the Outer Space Treaty have obligations under international law not to place nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction into orbit,” Nathan Evans, spokesman for the US mission to the UN, said in a statement. “We are consulting with members of the UN Security Council on how we can best reinforce this important principle.”

The Biden administration has mounted a campaign against Russia after a US lawmaker warned of a grave but unspecified threat from Russia that President Joe Biden later said was a plan to develop an anti-satellite space weapon. Biden said the weapon doesn’t threaten US lives. People familiar with the matter have said the US told allies that Russia could deploy a nuclear weapon or a mock warhead into space as early as this year.

Any bid to call out Russia by name would almost certainly fail given that Moscow has the power to veto resolutions as a permanent member of the council. Antagonism between the US and its allies on the one side, and Russia and China on the other since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has made Security Council consensus rare.

But a mildly worded resolution on the bigger principles at stake could gain Russian support and garner the backing of other countries the US is looking to for help, including China, also a permanent member of the council, and India. Both are seen as having more influence on Russia, according to the people.

The Russian capability would be aimed at knocking out satellites using a nuclear weapon, though US officials assess that Russia doesn’t want to do that anytime soon. The Kremlin has denied it has such intentions. Even so, an accidental explosion could damage or destroy satellites and knock out communications on earth.

It’s unclear whether a resolution would also look to slow what security experts say is a growing race between the US, Russia and China to weaponize space, including the ability to attack each other’s satellites.