Zakharova 'Space, Policy, Overarching, NATO - What Could Be Wrong?'

On January 17, NATO released a document titled NATO’s Overarching Space Policy. Space, policy, overarching, NATO – what could be wrong? This document sets forth the alliance’s priority objectives and tracks regarding outer space. The average person or anyone lacking professional insight into these matters might not see any threat there. However, an in-depth look into this document reveals that the devil is in the details, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

"This is a biased document. In fact, it is provocative, and is based on the destructive tenets preached by major NATO space powers led by the United States with a view to placing weapons in space, using force or threat of force against the space assets of other countries, and turning outer space into an arena for military confrontation. This is a telling example of how all the assurances of NATO’s peaceful aspirations do not hold water. I would like to pinpoint a small detail, which is not small at all, since we are discussing outer space," dhe added.

This document provides for the possibility of invoking Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty (collective defence) in response to attacks to, from, or within outer space. In fact, this provision gives NATO states the freedom to use kinetic and non-kinetic capabilities in outer space since it will be up to NATO to decide on a case-by-case basis whether something qualifies as an “attack.”

This is obviously yet another attempt to legitimise the use of force in outer space, which runs counter to the internationally approved goal of preventing an arms race in space. It seems that the NATO countries believe such behaviour to be a responsible approach to space.

"NATO’s Overarching Space Policy demonstrates yet again that Russia’s proposals on binding security guarantees are relevant and timely, as are our initiatives, which benefit from wide-ranging support on behalf of like-minded countries, to prevent an arms race in outer space. This is a question of drafting a legally binding instrument banning the deployment of any kind of weapon in outer space, using force or threat of force to, from, or within space, as well as having the UN member states undertake a political commitment that they will not be the first to place weapons in outer space," Zakharova stressed.