Russian President repeatedly made Russia’s stance on Open Skies Treaty clear — Kremlin

MOSCOW (TASS): President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly explained Russia’s stance on the Open Skies Treaty, presidential spokesman, Dmitry Peskov told the media after Putin presented a bill for the denunciation of the TOS.

“The president has repeatedly explained Russia’s basic arguments. This system rests upon exchanging information [obtained within the framework of the treaty – TASS]. The United States has quit this treaty, but it continues to use the information exchange system within the framework of the North Atlantic Alliance,” Peskov said. “The very same European counties that have remained Open Skies Treaty signatories will be sharing this information with the United States. In fact, the United States will have access to this information anyway. While Russia will not receive this information within the framework of this alliance. The head of state has repeatedly explained these arguments.”

Putin on Tuesday submitted to the State Duma a bill on the denunciation of the Treaty on Open Skies (TOS). In practical terms, this document enables the participating countries to carry out flights over each other’s territory to monitor military activity in accordance with the agreed quotas of monitoring missions.

The treaty establishes the rules of flights and a mechanism of verifying compliance with its provisions and contains the requirements the planes involved must meet, as well as restrictions on the composition and technical parameters of monitoring instruments.

The Russian Foreign Ministry on January 15 said that intra-state procedures for quitting the TOS had been launched. It explained the progress for the elimination of obstacles to the treaty’s operation had stalled in the new conditions following Washington’s pullout in November 2020. The US Department of State in April said that the US authorities had made no decision to return to the TOS yet. Earlier, Washington for several years accused Moscow of selective implementation of the treaty and violations of some of its provisions. Russia responded with counterclaims over the United States’ non-compliance with the treaty.