US Expected To Withdraw From Open Skies Treaty
President Trump is expected to tell Russia Friday that the U.S. is pulling out of another treaty.
It’s the third major retreat from arms control agreements.
This one is called the Open Skies treaty.
It was put in place in 1992, and designed to reduce the risk of military miscalculations that could lead to war.
It allows short-notice, unarmed flights over the other treaty countries to collect data on military forces and activities.
The goal is to ensure stability and predictability and cut down on the risk of misunderstandings.
But Jonathan Hoffman, assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, says Russia hasn’t complied with the treaty.
“What I can tell you is that Russia flagrantly and continuously violates its obligations under Open Skies and implements the treaty in ways that contribute to military threats against the United States and our allies and partners,” he said.
The New York Times reported on the decision Thursday, saying Russia will likely look at this move as evidence that President Trump also plans to leave the last remaining major arms treaty with Russia.
