Upon finalizing Russia’s withdrawal from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CAFE), the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs released on its official website a statement on NATO’s actions which demonstrate that they have no interest in reaching an agreement.
“Only when life forces them to once again take constructive and realistic positions, can the corresponding dialogue be resumed as part of efforts to form a new European security system that meets the interests of Russia and all others”, the Ministry noted.
Moscow also emphasized that initiatives ensuring military security in Europe without taking into account Russia’s interests “will not lead to anything good.”
“Attempts to cling to outdated agreements that do not correspond to the new situation are also doomed to fail and threaten to collapse cooperation mechanisms in the sphere of arms control,” the source added.
The Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe was signed in 1990 and adopted in 1997.
NATO countries did not ratify the adopted version of the document and continued to adhere to the 1990 provisions, which contained rules on the balance of conventional arms based between the Atlantic Alliance and the defunct Warsaw Pact.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the law on the denunciation of the CAFE Treaty on May 29, 2023, after Russia repeatedly stressed that the blame for ending the existence of the agreement would fall on the United States and its allies, who chose the path of confrontation.
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