The commander of the US Space Forces, General John Raymond, has called for dialogue with Russia and China on space issues and military activity in it.
He pointed out that the United States had “good discussions” with Russia after it launched a satellite that “was carrying out a maneuver near an American satellite.”’
Raymond confirmed that the Russian satellite was “a weapons system intended to destroy American satellites in near-Earth orbit.”
He added, “I would like to see more discussions with Russia and China on the rules of behavior in space.”
At the same time, the general refrained from answering the question whether he supported the establishment of an international mechanism or a treaty to prevent the spread of weapons in space.
It is noteworthy that the United States had accused Russia of having tested space systems capable of destroying satellites on near Earth orbit, and had expressed its concern in this regard.
Russia confirmed a satellite test to monitor other satellites, but denied allegations of testing anti-satellite weapons.
In late 2019, Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed the Russian position against the militarization of space.
Source: TASS + RT
