Executive Director John Tierney’s statement on the U.S. withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty was picked up by Common Dreams.
John Tierney, a former Democratic congressman who now serves as executive director of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, said in a statement that “it is not surprising that President Trump would pull out of yet another important treaty, because this has become a reckless pattern for his administration.”
“The Open Skies Treaty has built trust, provided stability, and eased tensions between the United States, Russia, and 32 other countries across the Euro-Atlantic region,” Tierney added. “The transparency it provides has helped prevent miscalculations and misunderstandings that could have otherwise led to conflict. In fact, the treaty has been providing vital information to the United States and its allies following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”
“There are some compliance problems with the treaty, but experts and our allies believe they can and must be solved,” he said. “President Trump should reverse this decision, recommit to working with our allies to fix issues with the Open Skies Treaty, and get rid of the staff who keep trying to wreck the global arms control and nonproliferation infrastructure in his name.” Read more