NATO allies said they condemn Russia’s decision as of Tuesday, the 7th of November, to withdraw from the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE), one of the most important post-Cold War treaties, and said they would suspend its operation in response, reports Reuters.
According to Reuters, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that at midnight on the 7th of November Russia would formally withdraw from the CFE Treaty, declaring the treaty “history”. The ministry said its decision is attributed to the fact that NATO’s expansion, mainly driven by the US, was destabilising post-Cold War security.
“The Allies condemn Russia’s decision to withdraw from the CFE Treaty
and its aggression against Ukraine, which contradicts the objectives of the Treaty,” NATO said in a statement, arguing that Russia’s actions have undermined Euro-Atlantic security.
As a consequence, “NATO members have decided to suspend the CFE Treaty for as long as necessary”, adding that this decision was supported by all NATO allies.
According to Reuters, Jake Sullivan stated that the US is suspending its obligations of the treaty from the 7th of December, citing Russia’s war in Ukraine and its withdrawal from the treaty as the main reasons. Sullivan said that despite Moscow’s non-compliance with the treaty, the US and the allies intend to maintain their commitment to effective conventional arms control.
Russia had previously suspended its participation in the treaty in 2007 and ceased active participation in 2015, according to Reuters.
Russia’s ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov, criticised the US on Telegram on Wednesday, saying that Washington often deflects responsibility for undermining the international security architecture. He also explained that this is a clear signal that “attempts to build military security in Europe without taking Russian interests into account are doomed to failure”.
Read also: VIDEO | Russian nuclear submarine successfully tests intercontinental missile
Follow us on Facebook and X!