Congressman Mike Turner (OH-10) released the following statement after the White House announced that it plans to withdraw from the Open Skies Treaty:
“President Trump has again rightly withdrawn from another treaty that Russia continues to violate. For several years I have supported U.S. withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty,” said Turner. “Congress has heard directly from U.S. officials that Russia is in violation of the Open Skies Treaty. As I said when we withdrew from the INF Treaty: treaties do not work when only one party is complying. House Democrats in this year’s defense bill said, ‘the United States should forcefully address Russian violations of its obligations under the Open Skies Treaty.’ We all agree that Russia is not in compliance with this treaty, and therefore this withdrawal should be widely supported.”
Congressman Mike Turner has long been an advocate of the United States withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty. In March of 2020, Congressman Turner, along with other members of the House Armed Services Committee and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, sent a letter to the Administration urging them to withdraw the U.S. from the agreement.
Congressman Turner has been well aware of Russian observation flights as they have used the treaty to land and refuel in the Congressman’s district at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Russia has restricted American planes in Russian airspace, in direct violation of the Open Skies Treaty. The United States has only restricted Russian planes in U.S. airspace in response to Russia’s violation of the treaty.
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