Washington refuses to issue a visa for a Russian cosmonaut

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The Russian Space Agency has commented on Washington's refusal to grant a travel visa to Russian cosmonaut Nikolai Chub, saying that this is a "dangerous precedent in space cooperation between the two countries."

"Without explaining its reasons, the United States denied an entry visa to Roscosmos cosmonaut Nikolay Chub, whose flight to the ISS is scheduled for spring 2023. He planned to visit the US to participate in a training session at the Johnson Space Center," the source said.

Training of foreign astronauts at Russia’s Yury Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center and of Russian cosmonauts at the Johnson Space Center is a routine practice, giving space crews knowledge of the US and Russian segments of the International Space Station. Such training sessions are held regardless of what kind of spacecraft will be used to deliver cosmonauts and astronauts to orbit.

An informed diplomatic source revealed to Sputnik that the US authorities refused to grant Russian cosmonaut Nikolai Chub an entry visa to her country, without additional explanations.

He explained that traditionally, all Russian members of the mission are trained at the Johnson Space Center before traveling to the International Space Station, noting that the training includes studying the structure of the American part of the station in the same way that astronauts prepare from the United States in Russia.

Previously, the US Congress, in its report, stated that Russia and China represent a potential threat to the United States in space.

The report, prepared by the Congressional Research Service, stated that "the adversaries of the United States studied theories of conducting war and focused on space systems as a weakness of the United States."

For his part, the head of the Russian Space Agency indicated earlier that "Moscow will withdraw from the International Space Station in 2025 if Washington does not lift the sanctions imposed on the space sector that impede the launch of Russian satellites."

Russia has repeatedly called for a convention prohibiting the deployment of weapons or the use of force in outer space and submitted its proposals to the United Nations General Assembly.