The United States and Russia will hold talks in Vienna next week on security in space, in the light of US and British accusations that Moscow recently tested anti-satellite weapons.
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Christopher Ford, the US assistant secretary for international security and non-proliferation, said he hoped the sides would be able to agree on "norms" for outer space actions by states.
Ford characterised Russia's activities in space as "strange and dangerous."
The US and Britain said that Russia had fired a "space-based anti-satellite weapon" during a satellite test conducted last week.
The US has become increasingly alarmed by the growing militarisation of space by its rivals, Russia and China, particularly the ability of those powers to destroy satellites which are increasingly vital to daily life and the capacities of the armed forces.
"Moscow and Beijing have already turned space into a war fighting domain," Ford said in a phone call with reporters.
The US is conducting parallel meetings on space security with China and would like Moscow and Beijing to commit to similar norms in space.
The US and Russia recently held talks in Vienna on the 2010 nuclear weapons treaty
The US would like China to join the treaty but Beijing, which has a nuclear arsenal that significantly dwarfs its rivals, declined.
President Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, with the White House saying he was keen on "avoiding an expensive three-way arms race between China, Russia, and the United States."
Australian Associated Press
