US Withdrawal from Open Skies Treaty... Trump’s Another 'Tantrum'

Air Force Reconnaissance Aircraft Sale Proposed... Biden Administration Rejoining Also Becomes Difficult
Immediate Appeal Following Dismissal of Election Vote Counting Lawsuit

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] The Donald Trump administration in the United States is showing little sign of stepping down with just two months left before the end of its term. After once again acting stubbornly in the field of foreign affairs and security, it immediately appealed when lawsuits challenging the vote counts in some battleground states were dismissed.

OC-135B reconnaissance aircraft operated by the United States under the Open Skies Treaty (Photo by Wikipedia)

On the 22nd (local time), the U.S. State Department officially announced that the United States has withdrawn from the Open Skies Treaty. The State Department stated, "On May 22, we notified our intention to withdraw from the Open Skies Treaty six months later," adding, "The United States is no longer a member of the treaty." President Trump had previously said, "Russia did not comply with the treaty, and we will withdraw until they comply."

The Open Skies Treaty allowed unarmed aerial reconnaissance among 34 member countries including the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, playing a role in the U.S. and Europe’s efforts to check Russia’s military expansion. Through this treaty, Russia also conducted aerial reconnaissance over the United States.

CNN reported that U.S. Department of Defense officials said they would continue to provide some reconnaissance information obtained via satellites to European allies, but the scope of information provided would inevitably be limited compared to when the U.S. was a member.

The Trump administration is not only withdrawing from the Open Skies Treaty but also trying to block the possibility of rejoining under the next Biden administration. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that the Trump administration is pushing to dispose of two OC-135B aircraft used for reconnaissance under the Open Skies Treaty. The OC-135B is a reconnaissance aircraft certified under the treaty. The U.S. operates three of these aircraft, but their purpose disappears once the U.S. withdraws from the treaty.

The Journal expressed concern that if the OC-135B aircraft are sold, it would take a considerable amount of time for the Biden administration to rejoin the Open Skies Treaty. It is also expected to be a challenge to obtain approval from two-thirds of the Senate for rejoining the treaty.

Meanwhile, on the same day, President Trump immediately appealed to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, which has jurisdiction over Pennsylvania, after a lawsuit filed by his campaign to block certification of the vote count in Pennsylvania, one of the key battleground states, was dismissed. Rudy Giuliani, legal counsel for the Trump campaign, stated after the ruling that they plan to appeal and even take the case to the Supreme Court.

In Pennsylvania, where 20 electoral votes are at stake, President-elect Joe Biden was predicted to have defeated President Trump. The Trump campaign is continuing legal battles to overturn the election defeat, demanding delays in vote certification in Michigan and filing additional lawsuits in Pennsylvania.