OREANDA-NEWS. The United States decided to withdraw from the Treaty on Open Skies, wanting to take control of all outer space and seeking to avoid the inspection of American territory. This opinion was expressed by the head of the Nuclear Risk Reduction Centre of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Sergey Ryzhkov.

According to him, Washington wants to control the space sector, including communication and navigation systems, space debris, remote sensing of the Earth, and “to make good money on this in the future by selling relevant materials.” The second reason is to prevent inspections of the American territory, Ryzhkov added. He also noted that Russia is ready for dialogue on these issues with US partners on the basis of reciprocity.

The United States announced its withdrawal from the Treaty on Open Skies at the end of May 2020. President Donald Trump claimed that the Russian side have been violating the provisions of the agreement which was signed in 1992.