Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova indicated that "Russia is ready to engage in dialogue with all countries to keep space free from any type of weapons, but not all countries are willing to do so." Commenting on U.S. statements regarding space issues, Zakharova stated that "Russia is prepared to conduct equal dialogue with all nations to ensure that space remains free from any type of weapons as a condition for guaranteeing international peace and security. Unfortunately, not all countries are ready to engage in responsible conversations on this matter."
Regarding U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space John Blume's remarks, she said that "the Russian-Chinese treaty project aimed at preventing the deployment of weapons in space or the use of force or the threat of using force against space targets is nothing more than a 'political trick,' asserting that it cannot be verified for implementation." She emphasized that the United States "strongly opposes Russian initiatives to prevent an arms race in space." She added, "The strong opposition to the Russian-Chinese treaty proposal has long been an integral part of U.S. foreign policy, which is why Mr. Blume's statements were not surprising."
