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Nations work closely together on the ISS – regardless of conflicts on Earth (archive photo)
Photo: HANDOUT / Reuters
The conflicts between Moscow and Washington have now also reached space travel.
According to the Russian space agency Roscosmos, US authorities have denied cosmonaut Nikolai Chub an entry visa.
"This is a dangerous precedent for cooperation on the International Space Station," wrote Roscosmos boss Dmitry Rogozin on the Telegram news channel.
Moscow has always issued visas to US astronauts.
Rogozin asked the US space agency Nasa to comment on the case.
He hopes that this is just a misunderstanding, he told the Echo Moskvy radio station.
Joint flight to the ISS planned for 2023
According to the information, Tschub wanted to prepare for a flight to the ISS planned for 2023 together with US colleagues at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
Such training is common.
Russia and the USA want to take astronauts from the other country back to the ISS in their spaceships.
Since NASA has been using private US companies for this, astronauts and cosmonauts have flown separately to the space station.
At the turn of the year, NASA agreed that the ISS would continue to operate until 2030. Roskosmos now wants to propose a corresponding extension to the government in Moscow. Last year, Rogozin threatened to withdraw from the project as early as 2025, citing US sanctions against its own space companies.
In view of the massive Russian troop deployment near the border with Ukraine, relations with NATO member Russia are currently strained.
The USA recently warned of a military escalation of the conflict.
"We are now at a stage where Russia could launch an attack on Ukraine at any time," said White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki.
The situation is "extremely dangerous".
The US government is therefore keeping all options open.
"Neither option is off the table," Paski said.
muk/dpa