US Decides To Withdraw From Open Skies Treaty, Calls Out Russia's Continued Violation Of Its Terms

In 1992, many countries signed the Open Skies Treaty that allowed its member states to carry out unarmed reconnaissance flight over each other’s countries so as to allow them to collect data on military activities. The treaty was an attempt to reduce the possibility of military errors ending in a war.

But time and again, Russia has flouted the terms of the treaty, which has now prompted President Donald Trump to withdraw the United States of America from the treaty.

According to President Trump, Russia has wrongfully used the terms of the treaty by repeatedly using its flights to identify critical U.S. infrastructure which can be targeted in an armed conflict.

“Russia didn’t adhere to the treaty, so until they adhere, we will pull out,” Trump told reporters May 21, Thursday. “There’s a chance we may make a new agreement or do something to put that agreement back together. I think what’s going to happen is we’re going to pull out and they’re going to come back and want to make a deal.”

While this step by the U.S, may sour its relations with Russia, Trump is rather confident that no such thing will happen and is sure that the U.S. and Russia “are going to have a very good relationship.”

Agreeing with Trump, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also stressed that the U.S. could rethink about its decision to withdraw if Russia ensures everyone that it will adhere to the treaty.

“This is not a story exclusive to just the Treaty on Open Skies, unfortunately, for Russia has been a serial violator of many of its arms control obligations and commitments,” Pompeo said. He further added that flouting the accord, Russia has denied access to observation flights around the Russian-occupied Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

“Russia’s designation of an Open Skies refueling airfield in Crimea, Ukraine, is similarly an attempt to advance its claim of purported annexation of the peninsula, which the United States does not and will never accept,” Pompeo said. “Russia has also illegally placed a restriction on flight distance over Kaliningrad, despite the fact that this enclave has become the location of a significant military build-up that Russian officials have suggested includes short-range nuclear-tipped missiles targeting NATO.”