Russia has suspended an agreement with the United States on cooperation in nuclear- and energy-related scientific research and development.
According to a document published Wednesday on the Russian government’s website, Moscow is suspending an agreement signed in September 2013 in Vienna that was designed to expand cooperation between the U.S. and Russia and establish “a stable, reliable, and predictable framework.”
The agreement applied to scientific work in various spheres, including but not limited to civil nuclear energy, nonproliferation efforts, nuclear fusion, and radiation technologies for medical purposes.
As with a decision earlier this week by the Kremlin, Russian officials cite multiple unfriendly actions by the U.S. government as reasons for abandoning the bilateral agreement.
Moscow says Washington’s sanctions against Russia over Ukraine have directly affected nuclear cooperation. In April 2014, for example, the Russian state corporation Rostatom, the world's leader in uranium enrichment, was informed by the U.S. Energy Department that cooperation on nuclear energy was being suspended because of Russia’s intervention in Ukraine.
On Oct. 3, President Vladimir Putin issued an executive order halting cooperation with the United States on plutonium disposal. The Plutonium Management and Disposition Agreement was signed between the two countries in 2000, as “an essential step in the process of nuclear disarmament.”
Russia says that it may reinstate the pact if Washington agrees to a list of demands.
The Kremlin’s conditions, presented in draft legislation to the parliament, include the reduction of U.S. troops and military infrastructure in NATO countries bordering the Russian Federation, and the cancellation of economic sanctions against Russia. Moscow also wants to be paid compensation for damages caused by the sanctions.
