Russia: "North Korea's Military Reconnaissance Satellite Launch Cannot Be Seen as Space Weaponization"

Russia has stated that it does not view North Korea's military reconnaissance satellite launch as 'weaponization of space.'

On the 28th (local time), according to local media, Sergey Ryabkov, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia, said regarding North Korea's reconnaissance satellite launch, "It should not be seen as weapon deployment," and added, "There should be no strike weapons in space, and North Korea's satellite is not an element of space weaponization." Furthermore, in response to the question, "Is there a plan to conclude an agreement with North Korea on the non-deployment of space weapons?" he replied, "We ask all countries and members of the international community to join a political commitment not to deploy weapons in space." He also emphasized that this proposal has gained support from more than 30 countries.

When asked about plans to engage in talks with the United States regarding nuclear weapons, Deputy Minister Ryabkov said, "There will be no contact between the two parties on this issue until the end of the year." However, he added that next month, delegations from the US and Russia may unofficially meet to discuss the concerns of the parties involved regarding nuclear weapons.