Russia withdraws from Open Skies Treaty

Russia begins domestic procedures for its withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty, Report states, Russian Foreign Ministry.

Due to the lack of progress in removing obstacles to the treaty's continued functioning under the new conditions, the Russian Foreign Ministry is authorized to announce the start of domestic procedures to withdraw the Russian Federation from the Don. Upon their completion, a corresponding notification will be sent to depositories, "the commentary on the Russian Foreign Ministry website says.

The Open Skies Treaty was signed in 1992 and became one of the confidence-building measures in Europe after the Cold War. It has been in force since 2002 and allows participating countries to openly collect information about each other's armed forces and activities. Until recently, 34 States were parties to the treaty. At the end of May, US President Donald Trump said that the States were withdrawing from the treaty.