The U.S. has officially withdrawn from the Treaty on Open Skies. National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien made the announcement via Twitter on Nov. 22. “Today marks six months since the United States submitted our notice of withdrawal from the Treaty on Open Skies. We are now no longer a party to this treaty that Russia flagrantly violated for years,” Robert O’Brien, who is currently on a tour of Southeast Asia, said. “@POTUS has never ceased to put America first by withdrawing us from outdated treaties and agreements that have benefited our adversaries at the expense of our national security.”
Some hours before O’Brien made the announcement, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement announcing that Russia will seek firm guarantees that the remaining parties to the Treaty on Open Skies will meet their commitments in full. “Now, after withdrawing from the Treaty on Open Skies, the U.S. side expects that its allies, on the one hand, will hinder Russian observation flights above U.S. military facilities in Europe and on the other hand, share with Washington their files on photo surveillance of Russia’s territory. Certainly, this is unacceptable for Russia,” the ministry stated, reported TASS. “We will seek firm guarantees that the remaining parties to the Treaty on Open Skies meet their commitments. First, on ensuring the possibility of observing their entire territory and second, on non-transfer of files on observation flights to third countries, which are not participants of the Treaty on Open Skies.”
There’s a clear implication that if the other remaining parties don’t make these commitments, Russia will withdraw. “Now many in the West ask a question how Russia will react? The answer is simple. We have repeatedly stated that we are open to all options,” the ministry said. “We are carefully watching and analyzing how the words of other parties to the Treaty match their actions. Judging by security interests of Russia and our allies we will take relevant decisions.” Russia’s full response is posted to the Foreign Minister website: https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/4455431
A Russian withdrawal would be the end of the Open Skies Treaty because the remaining parties are allies or close partners and would gain nothing from survey missions over each others’ territory.
