The US State Department announced its readiness to work with Russia to resolve problematic issues under the Open Skies Treaty (DON). This is stated in the annual report of the foreign affairs agency on arms control.

“The United States is still ready for good faith cooperation with Russia in finding solutions to these problems,” the document says.

At the same time, the report of the State Department contains accusations against Russia, which allegedly does not comply with the conditions of the DON. It is indicated that Washington will continue to negotiate with its partners in response to the "violations" allowed by Moscow and to improve the "mode of operation" of the DON.

“As long as the United States remains a party to the Open Skies Treaty, they will continue to work closely with allies and partners within the framework of the Open Skies Advisory Commission, working groups accountable to it and other bilateral and multilateral platforms for responding to violations of the Treaty by Russia and general improvement of the mode of its work, ”the report says.

However, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly given an exhaustive answer to all the claims indicated in the published State Department document. 

For the last time, June 23, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov emphasized that Russia does not see in its approaches, which have been used all these years under the Don, “any reasons that could justify the unilateral actions of the United States to destroy” the treaty. He stated this during an online press conference. According to Lavrov, the reasons why the United States decided to withdraw from the treaty were "artificially created and voiced."

Dialogue opportunity

Earlier, in early June, the Russian ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, wrote in an article for The National Interest magazine that the Russian Federation has repeatedly stated its readiness to discuss DON with the United States in order to find a solution acceptable to both sides. According to him, the difference between Russia and the United States is that Moscow is ready to sit at the negotiating table. 

“On the contrary, Washington seems to consider it more important to get rid of the treaty, which the United States, apparently, see as binding hand and foot,” the ambassador said.

Moscow announced its readiness to solve problematic issues on DON on May 22.

“We are open to dialogue, but only to equal rights, aimed at mutual consideration of interests and concerns,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

According to diplomats, Washington is "not tuned to this," but prefers to "go precisely to withdraw from the treaty," which is deeply regrettable because "significant damage is being done to European security."

Meanwhile, the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to NATO announced the need to hold a special conference of the countries participating in the treaty in order to determine its future fate.

The Russian Foreign Ministry later announced that the conference of countries participating in the Open Skies Treaty will be held on July 6.

  • US Department of State
  • AFP
  • © Daniel Slim

Exit from DON

Recall, May 21, Donald Trump announced the US withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty. The relevant decision will enter into force in six months.

The Russian Foreign Ministry called the decision of the White House "an unfortunate step" in terms of European security.

“DON - by the way, concluded at the initiative of the United States - is its most important link,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said on May 22.

The American side explained the decision to withdraw from the contract allegedly by non-compliance with the established regulations by Russia.

So, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Moscow allegedly for years regularly violated DON "in various ways."

“In six months, starting tomorrow, the United States will no longer be a party to the treaty. However, we can reconsider our exit if Russia returns to full compliance with the agreement, ”the head of the State Department said.

In turn, on May 22, US Presidential Advisor on National Security Robert O'Brien told Fox News on air that the Russian Federation allegedly did not use DON “properly”.

All these allegations were repeatedly denied by the Russian side. The Russian Foreign Ministry noted that Moscow did not violate the terms of the agreement, backing up its statement with a number of facts refuting the information of the American side about Moscow’s non-compliance with the agreement. The Russian side set forth similar arguments later, but Washington did not take them into account.

In addition, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly indicated that the United States has repeatedly violated DON. In particular, the American authorities reduced the maximum permitted range and limited their altitude. In addition, the States established restrictions on observation flights over the territory of the Aleutian Islands and took a number of other steps not stipulated by the treaty that reduce the effectiveness of Russian missions within the framework of the Don.

  • Russian Foreign Ministry
  • globallookpress.com
  • © Konstantin Kokoshkin

As the Russian Foreign Ministry said on May 26, the US State Department is “fabricating” allegations against the Russian side of alleged violations of the Open Skies Treaty in order to “divert the focus of attention from really serious cases of violation and non-observance of DON by the United States, its allies and wards.”

Recall that the Open Skies Treaty, concluded in 1992, is designed to strengthen confidence between countries by improving the system of control over the activities of the military. The agreement gives its participants the right by mutual agreement and according to the quota system to make observation flights over each other's territories. 

Washington's reaction

The American side’s move to exit DON has condemned a number of international players. On May 22, the European Union called on the US to reconsider this decision. On the same day, Washington’s actions were criticized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, calling them a manifestation of the Cold War’s thinking and an example of refusing international obligations.

OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger also voiced concern about Washington’s action and expressed hope that the US would “change its mind”.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said he would try to convince the American leadership to reconsider the decision to withdraw from the Don. Later, on June 9, he announced that the global arms control architecture received a serious blow after the United States decided to withdraw from the Open Skies Treaty.

Not everyone liked the decision of the White House to leave the Don and the United States. So, Congressman Democrat Ben Cardin, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called this measure reckless and an example of how the Trump administration unilaterally leaves the multilateral agreements, "little concern for the consequences."

Other U.S. congressmen have submitted a bill banning the U.S. president from withdrawing from international agreements without congressional approval. According to them, the exit from the Don became "the last chapter in the methodical dismantling of the architecture of arms control by the president."

However, as noted in the Russian Foreign Ministry, the United States "ignored the interests of the allies, the expressed demands of a number of members of the US Congress." At the same time, Washington’s decision “fully fits into its line on the destruction of the entire complex of agreements in the field of arms control and confidence-building in the military field,” the department emphasized.

"It's a question of time"

As political analyst Alexander Asafov said in a conversation with RT, Trump is consistently withdrawing from international security treaties in order to “renegotiate them on terms favorable to himself.”

“And, of course, the US withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty is just a matter of time. Now the task of the State Department is to make it possible to put forward absurd initiatives to preserve DON, to designate new readings of these agreements, or, possibly, to create a new treaty where the United States will have obvious advantages and there will be no equality of arms. It is possible that China will try to attract DON as well, as is happening with START III, ”the expert said.

  • U.S. pilots
  • Gettyimages.ru
  • © Roman Becker / EyeEm

At the same time, the statement on the US’s readiness “to conscientiously cooperate with Russia in finding solutions to problems” on DON in the new report of the State Department is intended to demonstrate to other parties to the agreement that Washington is allegedly not against a constructive dialogue, Asafov said. The expert also notes that "all of Washington’s claims against Moscow as part of the compliance with the Open Skies Treaty are far-fetched."

“The United States should be familiar with the position of other parties who consider this document to be a very effective instrument of control and deterrence. But the Americans think differently. Therefore, quite absurd accusations against Russia will continue to pour in, ”the analyst said.

The expert of the International Institute for Humanitarian and Political Studies, Vladimir Bruter, in turn, pointed out that the new statement by the State Department on US intentions to work closely with allies and partners “to respond to violations of the Treaty by Russia” “is Washington’s attempt to blackmail Moscow.”

“This is a common US tactic when they try to force Russia to accept the conditions that are beneficial to them. And statements of readiness for “good faith cooperation with Russia” are nothing more than a diplomatic move, ”the expert said in an interview with RT.

As Bruter explained, the State Department once again "demonstrates a tendency to abandon an objective approach to solving problems," putting forward old accusations against the Russian Federation, which have been repeatedly refuted by it.

“The US Foreign Ministry is used to tampering information with the existing decisions of the leadership. And in this case, another goal of the State Department is to justify the US withdrawal at all costs, without looking at reality and the facts provided by the Russian side. Not to mention the fact that Washington itself repeatedly violated DON, ”the analyst noted.

Experts also agree that the actions of the United States in the framework of the termination of international treaties and DON in particular threaten world security.

“The final withdrawal of the United States from the Open Skies Treaty will lead to a decrease in security on the planet. There will be much more risks of a global conflict, ”concluded Vladimir Bruter.