BRUSSELS, May 21. /TASS/. The NATO headquarters has confirmed the plan to hold a North Atlantic Council meeting on May 22 to address Washington’s unilateral decision to withdraw from the Treaty on Open Skies, a staffer of the NATO press service told TASS Thursday.
The alliance also expressed concern about the Russia’s alleged "selective implementation of the Open Skies Treaty.".
"All Allies agree that arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation make essential contributions to achieving the Alliance’s security. At the 2018 Summit, NATO Heads of State and Government reiterated their concern over Russia’s selective implementation of the Open Skies Treaty, and that this undermines our security. In particular, we are concerned that Russia has restricted flights over certain areas. Allies continue to consult closely on the future of the treaty and the North Atlantic Council will meet tomorrow to discuss the issue," the press service staffer noted.
The NATO headquarters refused to answer the question which member state put forward the initiative to convene the meeting, however, TASS sources note that it was the United States who seeks to win support of NATO allies for its decision to withdraw from the treaty.
US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced the decision to quit the Treaty on Open Skies, that allowed participants to fly over any territories of the treaty signatories to supervise the military activity. Giving the reasoning behind this decision, the US side cited alleged numerous violations committed by Russia, while Moscow rejects these accusation and lays counterclaims. For instance, spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry Maria Zakharova underlined that Russia itself has complaints about the US regarding the treaty which were voiced before.