NATO Chief Mark Rutte has warned that Russia is considering the deployment of nuclear weapons in space, and that it will be a threat to the thousands of satellites orbiting the Earth that are crucial for defence, communications, and the daily lives of people. In an interview with the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte warned that the Russian nuclear weapons in space would not target Earth but may target satellites and would be a violation of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty.
&ldquo;We are aware of reports that Russia is examining the possibility of placing nuclear weapons in space,&rdquo; Rutte told Welt am Sonntag in an interview published on Saturday. Welt is a sister publication of POLITICO in the Axel Springer Group.
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&ldquo;Moscow&rsquo;s capabilities in space are outdated in comparison with the West. Therefore, the development of nuclear weapons in space is a way for Russia to improve its capabilities. This is very worrying,&rdquo; he added.
The weapons would not target Earth, but shooting down satellites could have serious ramifications, as several systems and services we are accustomed to using rely on satellites, including navigation and communication systems, as well as environmental monitoring. &ldquo;Space is also very important for our deterrence and defence&mdash;just as important as land, sea, air, and cyberspace,&rdquo; Rutte said.&nbsp; Rutte added that such a move by Russia would violate the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, signed by the United States and the Soviet Union at the time. The international agreement signed by 114 countries to prevent an arms race is still the framework of international space law and prohibits the deployment of weapons of mass destruction in space.
Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-state-of-georgia-introduces-bill-to-recognise-hinduphobia-and-anti-hindu-prejudice-8952805" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US' State of Georgia introduces bill to recognise Hinduphobia and anti-Hindu prejudice</a> Critics, however, point out that the treaty does not completely rule out military activities in space and may not address the dangers that emanate from modern satellite systems. &ldquo;NATO allies are adapting to the challenges in space, including sharing intelligence and establishing national space command centres, but also developing smaller satellites that are more manoeuvrable and better protected,&rdquo; he added.
Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-78-to-undergo-checkup-says-never-felt-better-will-his-reports-be-made-public-8951391" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Trump, 78, to undergo checkup, says &lsquo;never felt better&rsquo;; will his reports be made public?</a> &ldquo;In recent years, space has become increasingly crowded, dangerous, and unpredictable. We know that competition in space is fierce and becoming increasingly bitter. And not just in commercial terms. This affects our entire security,&rdquo; he said. With about 7,000 satellites currently orbiting Earth, &ldquo;space-based systems directly affect our way of life,&rdquo; said Rutte, a former Dutch prime minister. &ldquo;They ensure, for example, that mobile phones, banking services, and weather forecasts work.&rdquo;

World: “Space is also very important for our deterrence and defence—just as important as land, sea, air, and cyberspace,” NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said.

NATO Chief Mark Rutte has warned that Russia is considering the deployment of nuclear weapons in space, and that it will be a threat to the thousands of satellites orbiting the Earth that are crucial for defence, communications, and the daily lives of people. In an interview with the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte warned that the Russian nuclear weapons in space would not target Earth but may target satellites and would be a violation of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. “We are aware of reports that Russia is examining the possibility of placing nuclear weapons in space,” Rutte told Welt am Sonntag in an interview published on Saturday. Welt is a sister publication of POLITICO in the Axel Springer Group. Also Read | Indian pharma warehouse in Ukraine hit by Russian missile: Ukrainian embassy “Moscow’s capabilities in space are outdated in comparison with the West. Therefore, the development of nuclear weapons in space is a way for Russia to improve its capabilities. This is very worrying,” he added. The weapons would not target Earth, but shooting down satellites could have serious ramifications, as several systems and services we are accustomed to using rely on satellites, including navigation and communication systems, as well as environmental monitoring. “Space is also very important for our deterrence and defence—just as important as land, sea, air, and cyberspace,” Rutte said. Rutte added that such a move by Russia would violate the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, signed by the United States and the Soviet Union at the time. The international agreement signed by 114 countries to prevent an arms race is still the framework of international space law and prohibits the deployment of weapons of mass destruction in space. Also Read | US' State of Georgia introduces bill to recognise Hinduphobia and anti-Hindu prejudice Critics, however, point out that the treaty does not completely rule out military activities in space and may not address the dangers that emanate from modern satellite systems. “NATO allies are adapting to the challenges in space, including sharing intelligence and establishing national space command centres, but also developing smaller satellites that are more manoeuvrable and better protected,” he added. Also Read | Trump, 78, to undergo checkup, says ‘never felt better’; will his reports be made public? “In recent years, space has become increasingly crowded, dangerous, and unpredictable. We know that competition in space is fierce and becoming increasingly bitter. And not just in commercial terms. This affects our entire security,” he said. With about 7,000 satellites currently orbiting Earth, “space-based systems directly affect our way of life,” said Rutte, a former Dutch prime minister. “They ensure, for example, that mobile phones, banking services, and weather forecasts work.”

Russia seeking to deploy nuclear weapons in space, warns NATO chief

NATO chief Mark Rutte held talks with US President-elect Donald Trump in Florida on the "global security issues facing the alliance", a spokeswoman said Saturday.

The meeting took place on Friday in Palm Beach, NATO's Farah Dakhlallah said in a statement.&nbsp;

In his first term, Trump aggressively pushed Europe to step up defence spending and questioned the fairness of the NATO transatlantic alliance.

The former Dutch prime minister had said he wanted to meet Trump two days after Trump was elected on November 5, and discuss the threat of increasingly warming ties between North Korea and Russia.

Trump's thumping victory to return to the US presidency has set nerves jangling in Europe that he could pull the plug on vital Washington military aid for Ukraine.

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NATO allies say keeping Kyiv in the fight against Moscow is key to both European and American security.

"What we see more and more is that North Korea, Iran, China and of course Russia are working together, working together against Ukraine," Rutte said recently at a European leaders' meeting in Budapest.

"At the same time, Russia has to pay for this, and one of the things they are doing is delivering technology to North Korea", which he warned was threatening to the "mainland of the US (and) continental Europe".

"I look forward to sitting down with Donald Trump to discuss how we can face these threats collectively," Rutte said.

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

NATO chief Mark Rutte held talks with US President-elect Donald Trump in Florida on the "global security issues facing the alliance", a spokeswoman said Saturday.

NATO chief Mark Rutte held talks with US President-elect Donald Trump in Florida on the "global security issues facing the alliance", a spokeswoman said Saturday. The meeting took place on Friday in Palm Beach, NATO's Farah Dakhlallah said in a statement. In his first term, Trump aggressively pushed Europe to step up defence spending and questioned the fairness of the NATO transatlantic alliance. The former Dutch prime minister had said he wanted to meet Trump two days after Trump was elected on November 5, and discuss the threat of increasingly warming ties between North Korea and Russia. Trump's thumping victory to return to the US presidency has set nerves jangling in Europe that he could pull the plug on vital Washington military aid for Ukraine. Also read: Trump chooses Scott Bessent as treasury chief; Dave Weldon to direct CDC NATO allies say keeping Kyiv in the fight against Moscow is key to both European and American security. "What we see more and more is that North Korea, Iran, China and of course Russia are working together, working together against Ukraine," Rutte said recently at a European leaders' meeting in Budapest. "At the same time, Russia has to pay for this, and one of the things they are doing is delivering technology to North Korea", which he warned was threatening to the "mainland of the US (and) continental Europe". "I look forward to sitting down with Donald Trump to discuss how we can face these threats collectively," Rutte said. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

NATO chief meets Trump in Florida to discuss global security and Russia-North Korea ties

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Russia seeking to deploy nuclear weapons in space, warns NATO chief

NATO chief meets Trump in Florida to discuss global security and Russia-North Korea ties