34 nations are part of "Open Skies" - a surveillance program that promises all members observation flights in the airspace of others. The US under Trump wants to leave the agreement.
- The United States wants to withdraw from the Open Skies military agreement for air surveillance.
- The agreement allows member states to monitor the airspace of others.
- The US had accused Russia of violating the treaty.
Washington - The United States plans to withdraw from a treaty between NATO countries and former members of the Warsaw Pact for mutual military air surveillance. This was announced on Thursday by White House circles. The Open Skies Agreement allows the 34 signatory states - including the United States and Russia - to perform several observation flights annually in the airspace of the contracting parties.
According to the Federal Ministry of Defense, the flights serve "arms control and confidence building in difficult times of security policy" . Representatives of the observing and observed states always take part in all flights.
US government criticizes Russia for alleged breach of contract
The US government had recently criticized Russia for violating the treaty because, for example, it did not allow control flights over the Russian exclave Kaliningrad . According to experts, overflights for the US military have also become less important thanks to the latest surveillance satellites. The U.S. Department of State said in 2016 that the over skies under the Open Skies Treaty "provided valuable information, especially for our allies and partners who do not have the same surveillance capabilities as the United States."
The United States has already left numerous international agreements under President * Donald Trump * , including the nuclear agreement with Iran, the Paris climate agreement and the INF treaty banning land-based mid-range nuclear weapons. The latter had been concluded between the United States and the then Soviet Union and was the most important nuclear disarmament treaty for Europe.
Democrats warn Congress against leaving: "Gift to Putin"
Leading Democrats in Congress warned the government late last year that the agreement would be withdrawn. That " would be another gift from the Trump administration to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, " it said in a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper.
In 1992, NATO and the states of the former Warsaw Pact had agreed on mutual military surveillance “from Vancouver to Vladivostok”. The contract entered into force in 2002.
dpa
* merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital central editorial office. Find out all about Donald Trump here: For example, about the President's films and assets.
