MOSCOW, 15 July 2007 — Russia yesterday suspended its participation in a key European arms control treaty that governs deployment of troops on the continent, the Kremlin said, a decision that threatened to further aggravate Moscow’s already tense relations with the West. President Vladimir Putin signed a decree suspending Russia’s participation in the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty due to “extraordinary circumstances... which affect the security of the Russian Federation and require immediate measures,” the Kremlin said in a statement.
The law takes effect immediately.
The treaty, between Russian and NATO members, was signed in 1990 and amended in 1999 to reflect changes since the breakup of the Soviet Union, adding the requirement that Moscow withdraw troops from the former Soviet republics of Moldova and Georgia.
Russia has ratified the amended version, but the United States and other NATO members have refused to do so until Russia completely withdraws, causing irritation in Moscow.
Under the moratorium, Russia will halt inspections of its military sites by NATO countries and will no longer limit the number of its conventional weapons, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
In Brussels, NATO spokesman James Appathurai condemned the decision. “NATO regrets this decision by the Russian Federation. It is a step in the wrong direction,” Appathurai said.
He said the treaty had boosted stability in Europe by providing unprecedented transparency in military matters on the continent. NATO officials said the treaty called for a 150-day notice period before any member could withdraw, and that it remained unclear whether Moscow had invoked that provision.
Putin has in the past threatened to freeze his country’s compliance with the treaty, accusing the United States and its NATO partners of undermining regional stability with US plans for a missile defense system in former Soviet bloc countries in Eastern Europe.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia could no longer tolerate a situation where it was complying with the treaty but its partners were not, and he expressed hope Russia’s move would induce Western nations to commit to the updated treaty.
“Such a situation contradicts Russia’s interests,” Peskov told the Associated Press. “Russia continues to expect that other nations that have signed the CFE will fulfill their obligations.”
The treaty is seen as a key element in maintaining stability in Europe. It establishes limitations on countries’ deployment of tanks, armored combat vehicles, artillery, attack helicopters and combat aircraft. Withdrawal from the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty would allow Moscow to build up forces near its borders.
But Russian military analysts have said the possibility of suspending participation in the treaty was a symbolic raising of the ante in the missile shield showdown more than a sign of impending military escalation.
