Russia on Saturday suspended its participation in a key European arms control treaty that governs deployment of troops on the continent, the Kremlin said, a move 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.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 U.S. plans for a missile defense system in former Soviet bloc countries in Eastern Europe.
Under the moratorium, Russia would halt inspections and verifications of its military sites by NATO countries and would no longer limit the number of its conventional weapons, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
About the treatyA glance at the main elements of the Conventional Forces Treaty in Europe: Originally concluded: November 19, 1990, between NATO and Warsaw Pact nations. Area affected: Between Atlantic Ocean and Ural Mountains. Force limits: Each bloc was limited to 6,800 combat aircraft and 2,000 attack helicopters; 20,000 tanks and 30,000 armored personnel carriers; and 20,000 artillery guns. The changes eliminated the Warsaw Pact's overwhelming numerical superiority in Central Europe. Deployment limits: Military forces were restricted near the line dividing the two blocs, ensuring that neither could launch a surprise attack. Transparency: The treaty called for both blocs to allow inspectors from the other side to monitor military maneuvers and other movements, and to verify the destruction of weaponry. Complaints: NATO signatories have complained that Russia has not withdrawn its forces from Moldova's breakaway Trans-Dniester province. Moscow says they are peacekeepers preventing a resumption of combat between two hostile sides. SOURCE: The Associated Press
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