US told Russia, open skies will not rejoin arms control treaty
US officials said Wendy Sherman, the US deputy foreign minister, told Russian officials that the US administration had decided not to re-enter the Open Sky Treaty, under which military units in both countries were allowed to monitor surveillance flights.
Staff Editor 
The Biden administration on Thursday informed Russia that the US would not rejoin a major arms control agreement. The US has given this clarification to Russia at a time when both sides are preparing for the next month's summit meeting between their leaders.
US officials said Wendy Sherman, the US Deputy Foreign Minister, told Russian officials that the US administration had decided not to re-enter the Open Sky Treaty, which allowed military units to monitor flights in both countries. Prior to this treaty, President Donald Trump seceded the US.
This decision means that there is only one main arms control treaty, named the New Start Treaty, among the world's major nuclear powers. Trump did nothing to extend the New Start Treaty, which was to expire earlier this year. But after Joe Biden took office as US President, his administration moved quickly to extend it for five years and began reviewing the withdrawal of the Open Skies Treaty.
Officials said the review had been completed and Sherman informed Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov on Thursday about the US decision not to return to the Open Sky Treaty.
