Russian Duma votes in favor of withdrawing from the “Open Skies” treaty

In favor of Moscow’s withdrawal from the Open Skies military surveillance treaty denounced by the Russia Last year, in response to the United States’ withdrawal from it, Russian MPs voted today.

The vote took place just hours before the first meeting of the two countries’ foreign ministers, Sergei Lavrov and Anthony Blinken, on the sidelines of the Arctic summit in Iceland and ahead of a possible summit between Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin in June.

Washington said last week it had begun reconsidering its withdrawal from the Open Skies presidency. Donald Trump, treaty that gives the right to conduct surveillance flights of the military activities of the members of the treaty, as explained by AMPE.

The Kremlin stressed that it would not wait indefinitely for the US decision and therefore began its own exit process. The vote in the lower house is expected to be followed by a vote in the upper house before President Vladimir Putin pulls out of the treaty.

The lower house of parliament, the Duma, today unanimously approved a draft law on Russia’s withdrawal from the Open Skies treaty.

Shortly before the vote, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stressed that Moscow had made it clear to the Americans that In the event of a constructive solution, Russia could consider remaining in the treaty.

This issue is one of the many Russian-American differences that poison the relationship between the two countries. However, they are trying to reach an agreement on a summit between the two presidents.

“At the moment, there is no agreement on the time or place. “Before we come to these points, we need to analyze the United States’ position on the agenda of such a meeting,” Ryabkov said.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is expected to discuss the issue with his US counterpart in Iceland tonight.