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US withdrawal from Open Skies Treaty to harm its European allies, says Russian diplomat

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko sais that this move will worsen the situation of strategic stability and military security in Europe

MOSOW, May 21./TASS/. The US withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty will damage the interests of its allies in Europe, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told TASS on Thursday.

"This move will not only worsen the situation of strategic stability and military security in Europe, but apparently it will also harm the interests of the US allies that are parties to this European agreement," the diplomat added.

Attempts by the US to pass off the withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty as a reaction to Russia’s violations have absolutely no basis behind them, Director of the Foreign Ministry’s Department for Non-Proliferation and Arms Control Vladimir Yermakov told TASS on Thursday.

"This is absolutely unfounded, we have repeatedly commented on that," the diplomat said. "It is not for the first time that the US is trying to present matters so as if Russia is violating something, to see this as a pretext for its withdrawal from the agreements on arms control. We are ready for equal cooperation with the US. All issues were being settled quite adequately within the framework of the treaty, as it was also evidenced by NATO allies of the US," Yermakov added.

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