The Russian Federation has officially left the Open Skies Treaty (OST). This decision was made after the United States refused to participate in the agreement
In addition, the European states have also refused to provide guarantees that they will not pass data collected during flights over Russian territory to the Americans. This was reported by the Izvestia newspaper.
It is not yet known what will happen to the DON next. It still leaves Belarus, which was part of a single group with Russia. Minsk intends to discuss the subject with Moscow and only then decide on its further participation in the agreement. However, the Belarusians have already announced that they will not accept observation missions or conduct observation flights in 2022.
The Treaty on Open Skies has been in force since 1992. The document was one of the confidence-building measures in Europe after the Cold War. Parties to the treaty can openly gather information about each other’s armed forces.