Kremlin: 'Open Skies Loses Viability Without US & Russia'

Following the announcement earlier today from Washington, D.C. that the US would not be rejoining the Open Skies military surveillance deal, the Kremlin has stated that the deal 'loses viability without the US and Russia', potentially sounding the death knell for the treaty that has been applied since 1992 and became fully effective in 2002.

• Over 30 countries are party to Open Skies, which allows participants to fly unarmed surveillance flights over the territory of other signatories in exchange for other nations' air forces being allowed to surveil their own country.
• The principle of the treaty is to foster trust as any troop buildup or construction of nuclear facilities could be picked up by other nations' aircraft.
• Without Open Skies, the US and Russia will not be able to easily assess the other's military capabilities or deployments from the air, potentially resulting in higher levels of tension with neither aware of the other's action.
• Of course satellites can be used outside of Open Skies to assess capabilities, but not all Open Skies signatories have the requisite satellite technology. The Open Skies treaty is intended to allow for something of a level playing field.