Russia promises a 'harsh response' if the US puts weapons in space
Russia will give a "harsh response" to the United States if Washington’s decision to create a military space force violates the treaty on the prohibition of weapons in outer space, Viktor Bondarev, chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Defense and former head of the Aerospace Force (VKS) stated, RIA Novosti reported.
"If the US withdraws from the 1967 treaty banning nuclear weapons in outer space, then we and other states will give a tough response aimed at ensuring global security," Bondarev said.
According to Interfax news agency, Bondarev noted that comparisons with the Russian VKS are incorrect, since these forces were created by the merger of air defense, air force and space forces and were not aimed at the militarization of outer space.
In March 2018, speaking before military personnel at an airbase in California, US President Donald Trump announced the creation of a military space force since space can be "a battlefield, the same as land, air and sea." On June 18, Trump instructed the Pentagon to create military space forces. He was adamant that the US should not lag in this area behind China and Russia.
The 1967 Outer Space Treaty, originally signed by the United States, the USSR and Great Britain, prohibits the deployment of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction in outer space and limits the use of the Moon and other celestial bodies for military purposes.