Russia Prioritizes Peaceful Space Exploration Despite US Attitude - Foreign Ministry

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th September, 2019) Moscow, contrary to US speculation, adheres to peaceful use and exploration of space, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

"Russia gives priority to the non-discriminatory use and exploration of outer space purely for peaceful purposes and, unlike the United States, does not have plans for solving problems in orbit with the use of strike capabilities," Zakharova said at a briefing while commenting on US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford's statements about the so-called "Russian threat" in space, which he made on Friday.

She stressed that there is no alternative to the Russian-Chinese proposal to develop an international legally binding instrument to keep outer space free of weapons.

"The big question is why American officials do not tell their audience about this," Zakharova added.

In late August, US President Donald Trump announced the establishment of the United States Space Command, the sixth branch of the US military, saying it would defend the country's interests in space. The Russian military said that by creating the space command, the United States was also creating preconditions for militarizing space.