WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th February, 2020) The withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty will make the United States less safe and secure, US Senators Robert Menendez and Jack Reed wrote in a letter to the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday.
"If this administration moves forward with a precipitous unilateral withdrawal from the Treaty the United States will be less safe and secure," the senators said.
Reports on the US intention to withdraw from the treaty, which enables its 34 participants to fly over other countries' territories to check on compliance with disarmament agreements, first emerged in October.
Menendez and Reed said US Defense Secretary Mark Esper accused Russia last week of "noncompliance" with the treaty and promised to consider steps to secure US interests.
Russia has repeatedly refused all accusations of violating of the Open Skies Treaty.
Senators said the potential withdrawal will not end a treaty which Washington's European allies continue to value.
"Russia could continue its flights over our military installation in Europe, but without United States oversight or influence over the technical specifications of the data gathered during those overflights," they said.
Since 2003, the United States overflying Russia nearly three times as often as Russia overflew the United States, senators added.
The Open Skies Treaty was signed in Helsinki on March 24, 1992. Currently, it comprises 34 member states. Russia ratified the treaty in May 2001. The parties to the treaty may conduct unmanned surveillance flights over each other's territories in order to gather information about military activities of concern.
