After Russia decided to withdraw from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) on Tuesday, NATO allies responded by announcing they will also withdraw from the treaty.
The CFE, which limited categories of conventional military equipment that countries of NATO and the then-Warsaw Pact could use, was signed on November 19, 1990, by 22 countries, including 16 NATO members: The United States, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. Six Warsaw-Treaty states also signed: Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and the Soviet Union.
In July 2007, Vladimir Putin announced that Russia would suspend implementation of its Treaty obligations; in 2015, the Russian Federation announced it would not actively participate in the Treaty.
“The CFE Treaty was concluded at the end of the Cold War, when the formation of a new architecture of global and European security based on cooperation seemed possible, and appropriate attempts were made,” the Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday, citing the addition of Finland to NATO and Sweden applying for membership as reasons for its withdrawal.
In a statement from NATO, the organization said, “The Allies condemn Russia’s decision to withdraw from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), and its war of aggression against Ukraine which is contrary to the Treaty’s objectives. Russia’s withdrawal is the latest in a series of actions that systematically undermines Euro-Atlantic security.”
NATO then explained how Russia routinely violated principles that undergirded international order, stating, “Russia continues to demonstrate disregard for arms control, including key principles of reciprocity, transparency, compliance, verification, and host nation consent, and undermines the rules based international order. While recognizing the role of the CFE as a cornerstone of the Euro-Atlantic security architecture, a situation whereby Allied States Parties abide by the Treaty, while Russia does not, would be unsustainable.”
“Therefore, as a consequence, Allied States Parties intend to suspend the operation of the CFE Treaty for as long as necessary, in accordance with their rights under international law. This is a decision fully supported by all NATO Allies,” the organization declared.
NATO then offered an opportunity for other countries to join them in their effort to bring security to the European continent: “Allies reiterate their continued commitment to reduce military risk, and prevent misperceptions and conflicts. Allies strive to build trust and confidence, based on key principles of transparency, compliance, verification, reciprocity and host nation consent, thereby contributing to peace and security. Allies invite those states that share this commitment and these principles, to join our efforts to also contribute to increasing predictability and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area.”
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“Our Allies unanimously share our view that a situation where the United States and our NATO Allies continue to be militarily constrained by the CFE Treaty, while Russia – whose armed forces are the largest in Europe, and who continues to actively wage a war of aggression against Ukraine using the very forces the treaty aims to constrain – is not, would be unacceptable,” The White House said in a statement.