Russia on Wednesday vetoed a United Nations resolution that proposed a ban on the use of nuclear weapons in outer space amid US intelligence-backed concerns that Moscow is trying to develop a nuclear device capable of destroying satellites. Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia described the UN draft as a “dirty spectacle” and a “cynical ploy” prepared by the resolution’s backers, the US and Japan. Before the vote, senior US officials claimed Russia might be hiding something should it veto the text. US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield echoed those claims in her speech after the vote on Wednesday. “And so today’s veto begs the question: Why? Why, if you are following the rules, would you not support a resolution that reaffirms them?” she asked. “What could you possibly be hiding? It’s baffling. And it’s a shame.” The US ambassador also condemned China’s abstention, saying Beijing “has shown that it would rather defend Russia…
