In April 2024, “Russia cast the only vote against the draft resolution that reaffirmed provisions in the Outer Space Treaty prohibiting the placement of nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in space.” The vetoed resolution had been approved by the U.N.’s Fourth Committee. (The Fourth Committee is one of the main six committees of the U.N. General Assembly. It is tasked with, among other things, issues dealing with space.) This veto was particularly significant because the proposed resolution was the arms control equivalent of motherhood and apple pie. Thus, something incredibly significant must have driven such a decision.