In response to Russia’s withdrawal from the CFE Treaty, NATO countries announced their intention to permanently stop their participation in it.

According to the NATO press service, the alliance member countries condemned Russia’s decision to withdraw from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe and are stopping participation in it. The message says:

“Recognizing the role of the CFE Treaty as the basis of the Euro-Atlantic security architecture, a situation in which the member states of the alliance adhere to the treaty, but Russia does not, would be unstable. Therefore, as a result, the CFE member states intend to suspend the CFE Treaty for as long as possible.” will be necessary, in accordance with their rights under international standards.”

The decision was supported by all NATO member countries, writes “European truth”. However, the report notes that alliance members remain united in their commitment to effective conventional arms control as a key element of Euro-Atlantic security. NATO will continue to consult and assess the implications of the current security environment and its impact on the security of the alliance.

The Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe was signed on November 19, 1990 in Paris by 16 NATO states (Belgium, Great Britain, Germany, Greece, Denmark, Iceland, Spain, Italy, Canada, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, USA, Turkey and France ) and six Warsaw Pact states (Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, USSR and Czechoslovakia), and entered into force on November 9, 1992. It set quotas on the amount of military equipment that signatory countries could have, including tanks, artillery, helicopters and airplanes.

After Russia announced its intention to withdraw from the treaty this year, NATO condemned the decision, saying it undermines Euro-Atlantic security.

Russia’s participation in the treaty was suspended in July 2007, in accordance with a decree of President Vladimir Putin, and a corresponding law was adopted on November 29, 2007. On November 7, Russia finally withdrew from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE). On Monday, Vladimir Putin signed a law on Russia’s withdrawal from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, which it suspended in 2007.

In a document published on official portal Legal information of the Russian Federation states: “To denounce the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, signed in the city of Paris on November 19, 1990.” Last week, the Russian parliament approved the withdrawal from the treaty.

Russia completed the procedure for withdrawing from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) on the night of Tuesday, November 7, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The message notes that at the same time, the Budapest Agreement of November 3, 1990 and the so-called Flank Document of May 31, 1996, related to the CFE Treaty, are no longer in force for Moscow. “The first was concluded with the aim of determining the levels of conventional weapons for each of the participants in the then Warsaw Pact, and the second was for a temporary solution to the problem of flank restrictions that arose in connection with the cessation of the existence of the USSR,” explains the publication of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The United States has decided to suspend all obligations under the agreement starting on December 7, European Pravda reports. quoting statement:

“The decision to suspend our CFE commitments was made in close consultation and coordination with our NATO allies, many of whom are also States Parties to the treaty. A number of our non-NATO CFE partners also support the suspension of commitments in response to Russia’s actions.”

Canada, effective February 7, 2024, will also suspend participation in the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, which regulated their numbers to prevent escalation, after Russia’s decision to withdraw from it comes into force. This is stated in a statement by Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly, who quotes “European truth”. According to Joly, Canada, along with its NATO allies, condemns Russia’s withdrawal from the historic Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, which “creates an unacceptable imbalance in the European security system.”

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