Russia May Quit the Open Skies Treaty This Summer

Moscow said that the procedure aimed to get the country out of the Treaty of Open Skies might be completed this summer. However, Russia can stop the process if the United States is ready to rejoin the treaty. If not, it will inform Canada and Hungary, which are the official depositories of the treaty, about the decision. 

According to Konstantin Gavrilov, head of the Russian Delegation to the Vienna Negotiations on Military Security and Arms Control, the Russian decision to quit the treaty has been driven by America’s move. The U.S. quit the treaty first, which affected the efficacy of the treaty and made it less balanced, Gavrilov underlined. 

«We count on common sense and real steps to preserve the Treaty by States Parties, especially those who are also members of the North Atlantic Alliance,» stated Gavrilov. 

He also said that Russia can’t wait endlessly for Washington to decide whether it will return to the treaty or not.

“Russian Federation will not wait until infinitely for the United States to decide to return to the treaty. Our internal work continues daily. Time to reflect
There’s a little left.”, the diplomat noted.

On May 22, 2020, President of the United States Donald Trump announced that the country would quit the Treaty on Open Skies that was initiated by the former president George H.W. Bush in 1989.