Putin-Russia Is Against Nuclear Weapons In Space

State-run RIA report comments from President Vladimir Putin and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu. Following speculation in the US that Russia could look to deploy nuclear weapons in space for the purpose of disabiling crucial satellites, Shoigu claims that 'there are no such projects'. The prospect of the deployment of nuclear weapons in space has been seen as anathema to countries globally since the signing of the Outer Space Treaty in 1967, with both the US and Russia (then the USSR) parties to the treaty.

• Putin claims that "Russia is against the deployment of nuclear weapons in space' and 'calls for compliance with all existing agreements.' Instead he says he has 'never been against negotiations on strategic stability'. Claims that 'if [the US] want to achieve unilateral advantages, this will not happen.'
• Putin and Shoigu also talk about Russia's capture of the Ukrainian town of Avdiivka. Putin claims that 'we have never been against negotiaitons, we are always for negotiations, this includes Ukraine'. Says that Ukrainian troops are 'performing absolutely reckless actions from a military point of view, they are climbing into a trap.'
• Regarding the situation on the frontline in Ukraine, US NSC spox John Kirby states that "Ukrainian troops were forced to withdraw from the city of Avdiivka ...because they practically ran out of supplies, including artillery ammunition...Ukraine's decision to withdraw…was because of congressional inaction. We’ve been warning Congress that if they didn't act, Ukraine would suffer losses on the battlefield and here you go."