CFE treaty without perspective (Russian Defense)

The Russian Ministry of Defense sees no prospects for the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) said on Monday a senior ministry official Sergei Ryzhkov.

"The CFE Treaty was signed at the time of the confrontation between NATO and the Warsaw Pact. Currently, the second block no longer exists, while the former are treated. I do not simply see no prospects. Rationale for the document ceased to exist, "said M.Ryjkov.

Adding that, nowadays, with the advent of high-precision weapons and drones, conventional weapons should be considered in relation to their influence on the nuclear forces of the parties.

Signed on 19 December 1990 in Paris by 16 member states of NATO and six member states of the Warsaw Pact, the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe defined the quantities of conventional weapons stationed in Europe.

In November 1999, the OSCE summit in Istanbul resulted in the signing of an adapted version of the treaty ratified by only four countries - Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine.

Georgia and Moldova refused to ratify it, demanding the withdrawal of Russian troops in accordance with the Istanbul agreements that were signed in conjunction with the Agreement on Adaptation of the CFE Treaty. For this reason, the NATO countries have also blocked the entry into force of the adapted CFE.

With the accession to NATO of several Eastern European states, the fundamental principle of the CFE Treaty on the maintenance of the balance of power has lost its raison d'être, the operation of the treaty in more than exercising for the exchange of information and inspections.

In July 2007, Russian President Vladimir Putin has suspended the application by a decree of the CFE Treaty, citing "exceptional circumstances endangering the security of Russia and requiring urgent action."Russia requires all member countries of NATO to ratify the adapted CFE Treaty and proceed to its strict application.