Overview

• NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed reports that Russia is considering deploying nuclear weapons in space to modernize its military capabilities.
• Such a move would violate the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which mandates peaceful use of space and bans weaponization.
• NATO is responding by enhancing satellite technology, establishing national space command centers, and sharing intelligence among member states.
• The alliance is also increasing satellite surveillance over the Arctic, a region of growing geopolitical and military significance due to melting ice and new sea routes.
• NATO extended its Article 5 mutual defense commitment in 2021 to include attacks in or from space, underscoring the strategic importance of space in modern defense.