Overview

• NATO General Secretary Mark Rutte warns that Russia is exploring the placement of atomic weapons in space to compensate for its outdated capabilities.
• Such actions would violate the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which mandates the peaceful use of space, according to Rutte.
• NATO is responding by enhancing its space defense strategies, including intelligence sharing, national space command centers, and the development of more resilient satellites.
• The alliance will also increase satellite surveillance of the Arctic to monitor potential militarization by Russia and China as the region gains strategic importance.
• NATO's 2021 decision to extend its collective defense under Article 5 to include space underscores the growing significance of the space domain in global security.