After the Trump administration announced its intent to withdraw from the Open Skies Treaty last week, several NATO member nations agreed to work with Russia in an attempt to preserve the treaty. The treaty has 35 states signed onto it, allows unarmed aerial surveillance between its signatories, and is used to confirm compliance of arms control agreements.
The US is set to officially exit the treaty in six months, citing Russian violations as the reason for withdrawal. Specifically, Russia limiting flights over Kaliningrad and its border near Georgia.
In a statement, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said, “We are firmly committed to the preservation of effective international arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation.” Stoltenberg accused Russia of “selective implementation” of its obligations under the treaty but said NATO is engaging in talks with Russia.
President Trump said the US might reconsider its withdrawal from the treaty, or may come to a different agreement with Russia over the next six months. But withdrawing from arms control agreements is becoming a pattern for the administration. The administration withdrew from the INF Treaty last year and might be looking to scrap the New START treaty next.
The Open Skies Treaty was signed in 1992 and came into force in 2002. The treaty promotes transparency and cooperation between its signatories. Germany and 10 other countries released a statement together, urging the treaty’s importance. The statement said, “The Open Skies Treaty is a crucial element of the confidence-building framework that was created over the past decades in order to improve transparency and security across the Euro-Atlantic area.”
The NATO vassals making excuses again.No eviddnce reqd that Russia was violating anything of course. Assertions are all that is needed for them to toe the line after Washingtons latest unilateral humiliation of the NATO “allies”. (Organ grinders monkeys)
If Washington can withdraw from the “Open skies” treaty. Why does Russia have to remain in it?????
Any answers NATO? Your Founder member , The US, has let you down again.
Kinda like Iran being saddled with it’s obligations under a defunct Nuclear treaty while the US can impose sanctions to it’s heart content.
… Well, if Kaliningrad and Georgia flyovers really are the sticking points, maybe Russia wants to end the treaty anyway, and Trump is being led to do them a favour.
It should be a redundant treaty anyway; there’s nothing overflights can do satellites can’t, if recon is the only object.
If the US withdraws, It still gets whatever it wants from info obtained from NATO overflights of Russia. What does Russia get in return with regards the US. Nil.
If the US withdraws, there is no longer any treaty.
NATO armaments and troop placements around Russian borders have been constantly expanding, breaking all old treaty agreements when Soviets fell, so just what trust should Russia place in NATO?
The recent US demands that NATO pay more of cost in men and materials for expansion has been agreed to, as they hold Russia to be their primary enemy and reason for existence,
NATO nations helped and still aid in the destruction of Syria a Russian ally, helped tear Ukraine apart and claims Russia invaded and occupied Crimea, joined US economic embargoes upon its trade partners Iran and Venezuela, where NATOs invasion and occupation of Libya now sees NATO proxies fighting Russias.
Europes hubris of their worth to worlds geopolitical power and economics is proving to be a vast fail and is facing vast internal economic and social unrest within member states.
Most European economies are on downhill slide with no end in sight.
As usual the US uses NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, the top US puppet fool, to push the blame for another US withdrawal of a treaty…. on Russia.
This move comes after 10 Euro countries, appealed to the US not to withdraw.