"In the interests of national security": the State Duma adopted a law denouncing the Open Skies Treaty

On Wednesday, May 19, State Duma deputies unanimously supported the draft federal law on the denunciation by Russia of the Open Skies Treaty (OON), which was introduced to the lower house of parliament by President Vladimir Putin.

During the plenary session, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin recalled that the United States was the first to leave the agreement, after which it was mainly Washington's allies and NATO countries who were now calling on Russia not to leave the Don.

“Just think about this.

The United States withdrew from this treaty, and we cannot participate in flying around their territory.

We cannot, but they can, only through their NATO allies.

Fly around our territory and, of course, monitor, study, carry out reconnaissance activities, - he said.

- Russia has always been in favor of maintaining global security.

This is our ideology.

But on the other hand, one must know the conscience.

Volodin also stated that the behavior of the US authorities in maintaining security in the world threatens "big problems."

According to him, international relations should not be built within the framework of double standards, as it is now, but on an equal basis.

In turn, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Sergei Ryabkov said that after the 46th US President Joe Biden took office from Washington, he received an "intelligible answer" to the question of a possible return to the Don. According to him, the American side was given "more than enough time to think."

“After the law is adopted and then approved by the Federation Council, it goes to the president for signature.

After signing, we, the Foreign Ministry, must convey ... to the custodians of the treaty - Hungary and Canada - a note, a notification that such a decision has been made, and Russia is leaving the treaty.

From the date of this note, a six-month period begins until the country is considered to have officially withdrawn from the treaty.

In the case of the United States, this period was from May 22 to November 22.

Accordingly, if everything goes as it seems to us now, Russia will withdraw from the treaty sometime in December, ”the diplomat explained.

On the eve of the head of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs Grigory Karasin said that the bill will most likely be considered on June 2: "Haste always interferes with business."

• © duma.gov.ru

Recall that in May 2020, Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of the United States from the Open Skies Treaty, allegedly due to non-compliance with the established regulations by Russia.

Six months later, the procedure for Washington's withdrawal from the agreement was completed.

“Washington has made its move.

Neither European security nor the security of the United States and its allies itself benefited from him, ”the Foreign Ministry noted.

On January 15, 2021, the department announced the launch of domestic procedures for Russia's withdrawal from the Don.

On May 11, Vladimir Putin sent for consideration to the State Duma a draft federal law "On the denunciation by the Russian Federation of the Treaty on open skies."

The explanatory note to the document said that by withdrawing from the agreement under a far-fetched pretext, Washington significantly violated the balance of interests of the OST member states, caused serious damage to the significance of the treaty and endangered the national security of the Russian Federation.

According to the first deputy chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee, Alexander Sherin, Russian parliamentarians made an absolutely logical decision on the Don.

“The treaty (in general terms) provided for the mutual right of the states that are part of it to monitor each other's territory with the help of reconnaissance aircraft.

The United States unilaterally withdrew from this treaty.

In order not to leave the right to the satellites, NATO allies included in this treaty, to continue to monitor the territory of the Russian Federation, while Washington's unilateral withdrawal deprives us of the right to monitor the territory of the United States, Russia made an absolutely logical, balanced and competent decision in the interests of its national security to withdraw from of this agreement, "said the interlocutor of RT.

In turn, State Duma deputy Ruslan Balbek noted that Russia has sent a clear signal to the collective West: Moscow will defend its own interests.

“Why should we let foreign military observers into the Russian sky, if they don’t want to let us into the American sky? Why should we adhere to some kind of military restrictions while the West is actively arming itself, and even directly declares that this is directed against us? I think that the decision to denounce DON is a clear signal to the collective West that the Russia they are used to is no longer there. There is an independent state that is ready, if they want, to be friends, and if they don’t want to, then we will defend our interests, including by terminating various international security treaties, ”the parliamentarian stated in a conversation with RT.