LONDON, January 15. /TASS/. The UK is disappointed over the fact that Russia has begun the preparations for the pullout from the Treaty on Open Skies, calling on the Russian government to reconsider this decision, a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson informed TASS on Friday.
"The UK is disappointed by Russia’s decision to begin procedures to withdraw from the Open Skies Treaty, following its continued non-compliance. The Treaty makes a valuable contribution to European security by increasing military transparency and building confidence between states," the spokesperson said. "The UK calls on Russia to reconsider its decision, return to full compliance with the Treaty and engage constructively with the other signatories."
On January 15, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Russia is launching domestic procedures to withdraw from the Treaty on Open Skies. Once the procedures are completed, notifications will be sent to the treaty depositories, the ministry said.
Washington for years blamed Moscow for selectively implementing the Treaty on Open Skies and violating a number of its provisions. Russia, in turn, expressed grievances related to Washington’s implementation of the treaty. In 2017, Washington imposed restrictions on Russian observation flights over US territory, triggering a tit-for-tat response from Moscow. The US pulled out of the Treaty on Open Skies on November 22, 2020.