The United States has officially notified Russia of its withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Friday, adding that Russia will remain committed to the deal
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd May, 2020) The United States has officially notified Russia of its withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Friday, adding that Russia will remain committed to the deal.
Within six months to follow, the US will cease its participation in the agreement, which allows signatories to conduct military surveillance flights over each other's territory. The US has said that the decision is motivated by alleged violations by Russia, which the country has refuted. US President Donald Trump is not ruling out the revival of the Open Skies Treaty, or its replacement with a new deal.
"The Foreign Ministry has received today an official notice from the US Embassy, which says that the US government has decided to launch the procedure of withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty," Ryabkov said at a online lecture for the Alexander Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Foundation.
"We will be working for preserving the treaty, it is important and valuable," Ryabkov said.
"We are ready to continue dialogue and seek agreement, but not just implement what Washington formulates ... The conditions, which the US has put forward, are absolutely unacceptable. They are senseless and groundless," the deputy foreign minister added.
Ryabkov also accused Washington of making its withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty a surprise for other signatories and therefore ignoring them. Russia will make effort to persuade the signatories of the agreement that the US' stand is wrong, the deputy foreign minister pledged.
