Having considered the recent and major Russian threats, Europeans have spoken the necessity to start tough measures against the country. Open Skies Treaty is the last victim of the systematic clash. This is the case while the former U.S. president Donald Trump Administration withdrew from the Treaty on November 22, 2020 claiming that Moscow employs it as an instrument to intimidate and threat against the vital U.S. and Europe infrastructures and also making reconnaissance flight over the disputed regions of Donbas and Ukraine.

Moscow was concerned that the U.S. allies might share the information collected from Russian planes with Washington.

Open skies Treaty authorizes its 33 member countries in Europe and North America to make joint and unarmed surveillance flights over each other’s territory. Before leaving the Treaty, the U.S. used to make its flights almost exclusively over Russia. According to the Spokesperson of the U.S. State Department, the country has made three times more flights over Russia than Moscow did.

This is the case while Russia makes its flights equally over all member countries and only 12% of its flights were made over the U.S. territory. In fact, the Treaty is, in principle applicable to Europe. The Treaty provides to small and medium sized countries without satellite a kind of independence and data which were not otherwise accessible.

The Treaty also acts as an opportunity to build military confidence through regular interaction with Russian officers within the framework of European security. In fact, Open Skies Treaty has had a remarkable share in providing security and stability in Europe and is focused on strengthening of confidence and security in Europe.

Moreover, the withdrawal of both countries will practically create a challenge for global effort to control arms. After the suspension of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe by Russia and the U.S. withdrawal from Intermediate – Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty), the termination of Open Skies Treaty will be another strike to joint regional security order in Europe. The Treaty will lose its strategic objective without the intervention of the U.S. or Russia.

Its termination will also deprive the West from an instrument to build confidence with Russia and will confirm inattention to Europe in military security policy. On this basis, the architecture of European arms control which was developed during the cold war will face a serious challenge.

Particularly and regardless of continuous and clandestine clashes within the realm of the former Soviet Union which may take place any moment, aerial and naval incidents between Russia and NATO planes and vessels is considered to be another source of danger. When the Russian planes are closer to those of NATO and NATO planes fly over closer to Russian borders, grave consequences may take place in Black Sea and over Baltic Sea. NATO sorties or its naval activities in the neighborhood of Crimea and also near Kaliningrad will be dangerous.

Recent situation in Ukraine and concentration of Russian military forces along Ukraine borders within the recent days and positions taken by European and NATO authorities such as the warning issued by the European Union leaders to Moscow for any military measure against Ukraine and readiness of the European Union to impose a package of new sanctions with serious consequences upon Russia in order to confront a possible military action by Russia has also provoked the inflamed atmosphere in relations between Europe and Russia.

While Russia calls for restricted activities of Eastern European countries in NATO as well as rejection of Ukraine and Georgia demand to accede to the treaty, Europe believes that Russia through its cold war era looking, is practically calling for a veto right on the destiny of NATO members. Within the fragile status of relations between Russia and NATO, the termination of Open Skies Treaty is being understood as intensifying threat that will strike against the confidence between Europe and Russia on the military stability in Europe.