Open Skies | Following US, Russia now withdraws from the treaty

Defence Redefined

17/01/2021

Following the official withdrawal of the US from the treaty on Open Skies on November 22, 2020, Russia in turn announced its withdrawal from the treaty.

The aim of the pact was to bring the West closer to Russia and to build trust between the two sides.

The treaty on Open Skies entered into force on January 1, 2002 and is currently signed by 34 states (35 before the withdrawal of the United States). The treaty established a program of unarmed surveillance flights over member countries. The treaty is designed to enhance mutual understanding and trust by giving all participants, regardless of their size, a direct role in collecting information about military forces and their activities.

Also read: NATO seeks Russia’s return to full implementation of the Treaty on Open Skies 

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the US withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty last year “significantly changed the balance of interests of the participating countries” and adds that the proposals of “Moscow to keep the Treaty alive were treated coldly by the Washington Allies.”

The new START agreement, the last remaining major nuclear arms control agreement between Moscow and Washington, is set to expire next month. Biden has said he’s keen to renew it, but it remains unclear for how long.

With information from: Euronews.gr, defenceredefined.com.cy

Also read: The United States and Russia have agreed on where and when nuclear arms negotiations will begin