Russia Urges Space Arms Treaty After US Acknowledges Orbital Weapons Deployment

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stated on Wednesday, September 16, that time remains to prevent an arms race in space.

Ryabkov called for a legally binding international treaty to outlaw the deployment of offensive weapons in orbit, urging the United States and other nations to abandon their skepticism. His comments followed the US acknowledgment this week that the Pentagon is operating weapons in Earth's orbit. US Space Force chief Douglas Schiess confirmed that enlisted members operate on-orbit weapons that can defend the Joint Force against space-enabled attacks.

Ryabkov noted that the US had not notified Russia, one of the world's top three space powers, about its new weapons capability, though the US statement did not come as a surprise to Moscow. Russia has consistently advocated for a treaty to prohibit the use or threat of force against objects in space. US Air Force Secretary Troy Meink had previously stated on Monday, September 14, that the US has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action.

This marked the clearest admission by a Pentagon official of US weapons in orbit. Officials and analysts describe the US acknowledgment as a landmark moment in space militarization, intended to deter aggressive orbital activities from China and Russia. Victoria Samson, chief director of space security and stability at the nonprofit Secure World Foundation, observed a shift from avoiding discussion of counter-space capabilities to openly stating the presence of weapons in space.

The Outer Space Treaty, signed and ratified on January 27, 1967, by the US, UK, and USSR, officially forbids the weaponization of space. 112 other countries have joined the pact, including China in 1983. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said weapons should not be deployed in space. China warned on Tuesday against turning space into a battlefield.