NATO is concerned that Russia could soon deploy nuclear weapons in space, according to a report in the Welt am Sonntag newspaper that was released on Saturday.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told the newspaper that NATO is aware that Russia is considering putting nuclear weapons into space.
He called Moscow’s current capabilities in space out of date and not comparable to those of the West.
That’s why, Rutte said, developing nuclear weapons in space could allow Russia to improve its capabilities, which he said is of deep concern.
These so-called anti-satellite weapons are not directed at Earth but at satellites. The destruction of satellites could cause chaos on Earth, as many systems on the planet rely on satellites for their operation.
Rutte warned of a potential violation of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which mandates the peaceful use of space. The treaty has been ratified by most countries, including Russia and the United States.
Rutte said in recent years, competition in space has become fierce and much more intense, as the environment there is now ever more crowded, dangerous and also not predictable.
This, he said, is not just in the commercial realm but also affects defence and therefore overall security.
According to the media report, NATO decided in 2021 that the collective defence clause under Article 5 also applies to attacks in or from space.
Article 5 states that an armed attack against one or more allies is considered an attack against all.
This collective defence clause has only been invoked once in NATO’s history, in support of the United States following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.