This image released by the US European Command (EUCOM) shows a Russian SU-27 Flanker fighter plane that's photographed from a US Air Force reconnaissance jet over the Baltic Sea on June 19, 2017. (MASTER SGT. CHARLES LARKIN SR / US EUROPEAN COMMAND / AFP)

MOSCOW - Russia announced on Friday it was pulling out of the Open Skies treaty, saying that the treaty, which allows unarmed surveillance flights over member countries, had been seriously compromised by the withdrawal of the United States.

Russia said in a statement that Moscow had made specific proposals to other members to mitigate against the impact of the US exit but that those proposals were not backed by Washington’s allies

The move, announced by Russia’s foreign ministry, comes days before US President-elect Joe Biden’s Jan 20 inauguration amid fears of a burgeoning arms race. Moscow’s last major nuclear arms pact with Washington is set to expire next month.

The United States left the Open Skies arms control and verification treaty in November, accusing Russia of violating it, something Moscow denied.

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Russia said in a statement that Moscow had made specific proposals to other members to mitigate against the impact of the US exit but that those proposals were not backed by Washington’s allies.

Moscow will formally notify other member states about its exit once it has completed unspecified withdrawal procedures at home, it said. The exit process usually takes months to be finalized.

This May 22, 2020 AFP graphic shows the 35 signatories to the Treaty on Open Skies.

Russia has raised concerns that despite leaving the treaty Washington could potentially retain access to overflight intelligence gathered by allies who remain members in the treaty.

READ MORE: Flight data sharing with US worries Russians

The Kommersant newspaper reported earlier that Moscow had tried to get guarantees from other countries that they would not share such intelligence with Washington but had not been given any assurances.

Arms control tensions have been rising between Moscow and Washington and New START, their last remaining major nuclear arms control treaty, is set to expire in February.

Biden has said he’s keen to renew it but it remains unclear for how long.