A Russian Air Force Tu-214 flies over Offutt Air Force Base in April 2019, in Omaha, Nebraska. The flight was allowed as part of the Open Skies Treaty
CHINA condemned the United States for withdrawing from the Open Skies treaty today, saying it was part of a pattern that “undermines military mutual trust and transparency and will have a negative impact on the international arms control and disarmament process.”
The Donald Trump administration has previously withdrawn from arms-control treaties such as the Intermediate Nuclear Forces treaty with Russia, which helped remove thousands of medium-range nuclear missiles from Europe at the end of the cold war.
It now says it will allow the last remaining arms-control pact with Moscow — the New Start (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) — to expire in February unless China joins. Beijing says it will be happy to join once US and Russian nuclear-warhead stocks — of over 6,000 each — are down to its own level of fewer than 300, but not before.
US president-elect Joe Biden, who is in favour of extending New Start, is due to take office on January 20, though Mr Trump is still denying his successor’s victory.
Incumbent Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has been touring the Middle East seeking to entrench Trump-administration foreign-policy priorities, including over recognition of Israel by Arab allies.
Israeli media reported today that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew to Saudi Arabia at the weekend for talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Neom, where the prince, notorious for his role in promoting the war on Yemen and over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, was in talks with Mr Pompeo.
The meeting was the first known encounter between senior Israeli and Saudi politicians. The two countries, while US allies, do not have formal diplomatic relations, though Saudi allies Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have recently recognised Israel, dropping long-standing demands that Israel first demonstrates progress towards the establishment of a viable independent Palestinian state.
The US State Department said Mr Pompeo’s tour focused on “security co-operation and countering Iran’s malign influence in the region, as well as that of China.” He met Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani on Saturday to try to draw him into the anti-Iran alliance, though Qatar remains on frosty terms with Saudi Arabia and its allies and maintains friendly relations with Tehran.
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