RUSSIA has defended its veto of a UN resolution urging all nations to prevent a nuclear arms race in outer space, challenging the United States, Japan and their Western allies to support Moscow’s rival resolution calling for a ban on all weapons in space “for all time.”

On Monday Russia’s UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said the US and Japan, which sponsored April’s vetoed resolution, are guilty of of hypocrisy and double standards, arguing that the US and its allies oppose a ban because they plan to deploy weapons there. 

He accused the US and Western nations more broadly of planning for the military exploration of outer space, including the deployment of weapons, in particular strike combat systems.

But US deputy ambassador Robert Wood told the UN general assembly: “The truth is that Russia currently has several conventional anti-satellite weapons already in orbit, one of which it tested in 2019.” 

He added Russia has threatened to target satellites with weapons, and said there “is credible information that Russia is developing a new satellite carrying a nuclear device.”

“Current nuclear risks are at an alarmingly high level,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. “All actions that could lead to miscalculation, escalation with catastrophic consequences, must be avoided.”