Nearly two years into its war with Ukraine, Russia has officially withdrawn from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe.
In response, NATO is suspending operations for the Cold War-era security pact.
The CFE Treaty was ratified in 1990, a year after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and entered into force in 1992. The treaty ensured security in Europe by preventing nations from building forces at or near mutual borders.
In a statement, NATO said Russia continues to undermine rules-based international order and its withdrawal from the treaty is only the latest in a series of actions that threaten Euro-Atlantic security.
The United States, one of the signatories of the treaty, issued a statement supporting the suspension of the CFE. According to State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller the suspension will take effect beginning Dec. 7.
“Russia’s continued destabilizing behavior undermines the key arms control principles of reciprocity, transparency, compliance, and verification, which have for decades been the bedrock of the Euro-Atlantic security architecture,” Miller said.
The U.S. also does not expect the withdrawal to have any practical impact on Russia’s force posture, the official added.