As recalled at the embassy, inspection activities under the START Treaty have been suspended since the beginning of 2020 by agreement of the parties due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The remaining problems are related to the unilaterally imposed anti-Russian restrictive measures by the United States.
The statement by the State Department that sanctions do not prevent our inspectors from conducting inspections on American soil is slyness, ”the message says.
Thus, direct air communication between the United States and Russia was interrupted, and Washington's allies closed their airspace for transit flights and technical stops of Russian aircraft delivering inspectors to the United States.
“Members of our inspection teams and flight crews are prevented from obtaining transit visas.
The American side does not have all these problems.
As a result, Washington gets a clear advantage,” the diplomatic mission said.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said earlier that the reason for the withdrawal of Russian facilities from inspection activities under the START was the intention of the United States to conduct an inspection in the coming days, while maintaining difficulties for the inspections by the Russian side.
Igor Vishnevetsky, Deputy Director of the Department for Non-Proliferation and Arms Control of the Russian Foreign Ministry, said that Russia and the United States intend to discuss the situation with inspections under START III.
Prior to this, US President Joe Biden said that his administration was ready to discuss with Russia a new arms control system that would replace the START III treaty, which expires in 2026.