Russia is Also Withdrawing From the Open Skies Treaty

Russia is withdrawing from the so-called Open Skies treaty. This agreement allows the dozens of participating countries to conduct unarmed military reconnaissance flights in each other’s airspace. This is how conflicts must be prevented.

 

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it would begin “the internal procedure to withdraw Russia from the Open Skies Treaty”.

Russia is following the example of the United States, which terminated the treaty last year. President Donald Trump’s administration accused Moscow of not abiding by the agreements. Russia contradicted that.

Moscow would fear that US allies participating in the treaty will continue to pass on information from reconnaissance flights to Washington.

The Russian newspaper Kommersant writes that the Russian government has tried in vain to make agreements with other countries to prevent this.