US told Russia, will not join open skies arms control agreement

The Biden administration informed Russia that the US would not rejoin a major arms control agreement. The US has given this clarification to Russia at a time when both sides are preparing for the next month’s summit meeting between their leaders. US officials said Wendy Sherman, the US Deputy Foreign Minister, told Russian officials that the US administration had decided not to re-enter the Open Sky Treaty under which surveillance flights were allowed on military units in both countries. The United States was separated from the treaty by former President Donald Trump. This decision means that there is only one main arms control treaty named ‘New Start Treaty’ among the world’s major nuclear powers. Trump did nothing to extend the New Start Treaty, which was to end earlier this year, but after Joe Biden took over as US President, his administration accelerated to extend it for five years. And proceeded to review the withdrawal of the Open Skies Treaty. Officials said the review had been completed and Sherman informed Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov about the US decision not to return to the ‘Open Sky Treaty’. Officials were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and provided this information on condition of anonymity. The move from the US comes at a time when President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin are scheduled to meet on June 16 in Geneva, Switzerland.