Russia withdraws from Open Skies Treaty after U.S. departure

Russia said on Friday it will withdraw from an international treaty allowing observation flights over military facilities following the U.S. exit from the pact.

Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the U.S. withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty last year “significantly upended the balance of interests of signatory states,” adding that Moscow's proposals to keep the treaty alive after the U.S. exit have been cold-shouldered by Washington's allies.

The treaty was intended to build trust between Russia and the West by allowing the accords more than three dozen signatories to conduct reconnaissance flights over each others territories to collect information about military forces and activities.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said that Moscow is now launching the relevant procedural moves to withdraw from the pact.