US Denies Rejoining Open Skies Treaty

In News

Recently, the US has informed Russia that it will not rejoin the Open Skies Treaty.

Background

• The US, under Donald Trump’s presidency, withdrew from the treaty in 2020.
• Russia showed disapproval and warned that it would erode global security by making it more difficult for governments to interpret the intentions of other nations, particularly amid heightened Russia-West tensions.

About the Issue

• USA’s Stand: It held that the treaty has been undermined by Russia’s violations and the nation has also failed to take any actions to return to compliance.
• Russia’s Stand: It has denied the allegations by the US.
  • Russia is also expected to withdraw from the treaty in 2021.
• The announcement comes ahead of a meeting between the Presidents of both countries on 16^th June in Geneva, Switzerland.
  • They will try to find common ground amid a sharp deterioration in ties that have sunk relations to their lowest point in decades.
• Implications
  • The USA’s latest announcement means that currently, only one major arms control treaty, the New START treaty, between the two nuclear powers remains in place.
    • The Trump administration did not do anything to extend it, which would have expired earlier in 2021 but the Biden administration moved quickly to extend it for five years.

Open Skies Treaty

• It is an arms control deal that permits unarmed aerial flights over participating countries.
• Aims
  • To fo ster transparency and allow for the monitoring of arms control and other agreements.
  • To build confidence among the signatories through mutual openness to reduce chances of accidental war.
• Genesis
  • It was initially proposed by the US in 1955 with the aim to de-escalate tensions during the Cold War.
  • Finally, it was signed in 1992 between the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) members and former Warsaw Pact countries following the demise of the Soviet Union in 1991.
    • The Warsaw Pact (1955) was a mutual defense agreement signed between Russia and its satellite states
    • It was perceived as a reaction by the weatern countries, against West Germany’s admission to NATO.
  • It came into effect in 2002.
• It allows its more than three dozen signatories to conduct reconnaissance flights over each other’s territories to collect information about military forces and activities.
• A member State can undertake surveillance on any part of the host nation, with the latter’s consent and only approved imaging equipment is permitted on the surveillance flights.
  • Officials from the host state can also stay on board throughout the planned journey.
• After the desired information is gathered, like troop movements, missile deployments, military exercises, etc. it has to be shared with all the signatories.
• India is not a member of this treaty.

New START Treaty

• It was initially signed by the US President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, in 2010.
• It entered into force in February 2011.
• It replaced the START I framework of 1991, which was signed at the end of the Cold War.
  • It limited both sides to 1,600 strategic delivery vehicles and 6,000 warheads.
  • It expired in December 2009, and superseded the 2002 Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty (SORT), which terminated when the New START treaty entered into force.
• It limits each country to no more than 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads and 700 deployed missiles and bombers, and envisages sweeping on-site inspections to verify compliance.

• It would have lapsed in February 2021 but was extended for a five-year period.

Source: IE