The Foreign Affairs Committee of the upper chamber of Russia's parliament has approved legislation suspending a Russia-U.S. agreement on the disposal of plutonium.
The committee on October 24 urged the full chamber to approve the bill, which has already passed the lower chamber, the State Duma.
Earlier, President Vladimir Putin introduced the bill, which also includes a list of conditions under which Russia would consider resuming the agreement.
Those conditions include an end to targeted U.S. sanctions against Russians connected with human rights abuses, compensation to Russia for the costs of sanctions, and a reduction of the U.S. military presence in NATO-member countries.
Speaking at the parliament, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that "it is evident that the current U.S. administration won't...lift sanctions or reduce the American military presence in Europe for the sake of resuming the effect of the agreement."
He said Washington was continually making demands on Russia, and Moscow is sending a signal that this should stop.
"There is a flow of endless linking," Ryabkov said. "We used the situation to call a spade a spade."
