Moscow – Speaking to the United Nations via video link Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday called for an international treaty to prohibit weapons in space and offered Russia’s coronavirus vaccine to UN employees for free.
Putin made the call while speaking to the United Nations General Assembly via video link.
“Russia is ready to provide the UN with all the necessary qualified assistance.
“In particular, we are offering to provide our vaccine free of charge, for the voluntary vaccination of the staff of the UN and its offices,” Putin said.
He also said that the global economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic had renewed the need for removing trade sanctions.
Russia has been under crippling sanctions by Western powers since it annexed a part of neighbouring Ukraine six years ago.
“Freeing the world trade from barriers, bans, restrictions, and illegitimate sanctions would be of great help in revitalising global growth and reducing unemployment,” Putin said, based on a transcript published on the Kremlin’s website.
While emphasising the need for a treaty to ensure peace in outer space, Putin said: “Russia is putting forward an initiative to sign a binding agreement between all the leading space powers that would provide for the prohibition of the placement of weapons in outer space, threat or use of force against outer space objects.”
(dpa/NAN)
