(DCWatchdog.com) – The United States and its allies in NATO have come closer to war with Putin’s Russia after Russia unilaterally abandoned the landmark 1990 Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, enabling itself to amass more forces amid its war against Ukraine.
On Tuesday, Russia officially terminated its participation in the key international treaty that limits the use of conventional military weapons.
On its 623rd day since invading a democratic, pro-Western Ukraine in a seemingly bid to revive the former Soviet empire, Moscow blamed its exit from the Treaty (TCFE) on the United States and the other Western nations.
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs labeled the treaty as “history,” stating that it no longer serves Russia’s interests, Al Jazeera London reports.
This development took place shortly after President Vladimir Putin annulled Russia’s ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), which prohibits all nuclear detonations for testing purposes.
Concurrently, Russia test-fired a ballistic missile with nuclear capabilities from a submarine.
The TCFE, signed in the wake of the Cold War’s culmination in 1990, backed then by the still-existing former Soviet Union, aimed to prevent the accumulation of conventional armed forces that could enable rapid offensive operations.
At the time, Moscow, which was superior in conventional arms, did not favor the treaty.
NATO has criticized Russia for not adhering to the treaty’s conditions for years, citing Russia’s suspension of participation in 2007 and cessation of active involvement in 2015.
In May, over a year after its aggressive military action against Ukraine in February 2022, Putin repudiated the treaty.
“Russia has for many years not complied with its CFE obligations. Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, and Belarus’ complicity, is contrary to the objectives of the CFE Treaty,” the US-led NATO alliance said in June.
Reacting to Moscow’s move, the US and the other 31 NATO nations declared on Tuesday that they would also formally suspend their participation in the treaty.
“Russia’s withdrawal is the latest in a series of actions that systematically undermines Euro-Atlantic Security,” said NATO’s governing body, the North Atlantic Council, in a statement Tuesday.
“Russia’s withdrawal from the treaty is unsustainable and requires a strong response from the alliance. Taking no action would send the wrong message,” said a senior State Department official.
The official informed the suspension for the US would take place on December 7.
