Statement - Preserve the Open Skies Treaty

The Open Skies Treaty is under imminent threat. Deep Cuts Commission calls on the current treaty-parties and the United States to work to preserve the accord and its benefits for European and trans-Atlantic security. The Open Skies Treaty remains a valuable confidence- and security-building measure to reduce the risk of misunderstanding or miscalculation.

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Policy recommendations

  • The Biden administration should expeditiously conduct a review of its policy toward the Open Skies Treaty and announce whether it will seek to rejoin the agreement.
  • The Russian government should pause its internal deliberations on withdrawal to give the U.S. government time to conduct its review.
  • The United States and its NATO allies should issue a joint statement to the effect that, while the United States remains outside of the treaty, it will not seek and its allies will not share data collected by Open Skies flights. The statement should also indicate that allies will not deny Russian Open Skies flights the ability to overfly U.S. military installations or activities on their territories.
  • If/when the United States indicates that it would like to rejoin the Open Skies Treaty, legal experts from the United States, Russia and other interested state-parties should meet to discuss and agree on legal mechanisms by which the United States could do so. Such mechanisms would require that the United States fully carry out its obligations and responsibilities under the treaty, like any other state-party, as well as enjoy its benefits