NATO countries suspend participation in CFE Treaty

The NATO allies plan to withdraw from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) after Russia finalized its withdrawal last night at midnight, the bloc said in a statement.

"Allied States Parties intend to suspend the operation of the CFE Treaty for as long as necessary, in accordance with their rights under international law. This is a decision fully supported by all NATO Allies," the North Atlantic Alliance said.

The United Kingdom issued a separate statement saying it will suspend its participation in the CFE. According to US State Department official, Washington will suspend the fulfillment of obligations under the CFE Treaty from December 7, WSJ reported.

What is CFE Treaty?

The CFE Treaty was signed in 1990 and amended in 1997. However, the NATO countries never ratified the amended version of the document and have continued to adhere to the outdated 1990 provisions, based on the conventional arms balance between NATO and the Warsaw Pact. As a result, Russia was compelled to declare a moratorium on implementing the terms of the treaty in 2007. In 2023, Moscow denounced the Treaty.