European leaders call for urgent arms talks with Russia

The leaders of 14 European countries led by Germany have issued a statement calling for the reopening of arms control talks with Russia and warning the existing arms control regimes are crumbling. The statement said the countries are deeply concerned about the continuing erosion of the rules-based European security order, and see an urgent need to relaunch conventional arms treaty talks through “a new structured dialogue”.

Signatories include France, Spain, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland and Italy, as well as Germany. The UK is not a signatory to the initiative designed to coincide with a meeting of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe(OSCE), the leading east-west dialogue body, in Hamburg next month. Germany currently holds the presidency of the OSCE.

The initiative put together by the German foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, will be watched anxiously by those who worry the EU is softening in its opposition to Russia, not just in Syria but in Ukraine as well. The election of Donald Trump in the US, and the possible election of the leading rightwing French candidate François Fillon next year as French president, suggests a new, less assertive approach to Russia may be evolving in key capitals.

But the joint statement contains strong criticism of Russia, suggesting Moscow has been responsible for much of the erosion of the arms control treaties signed in after the end of the cold war. The statement said: “The Conventional Forces in Europe treaty, which led to the destruction of tens of thousands of heavy weapon systems in Europe in the years following 1990, is no longer being implemented by the Russian Federation.” Russia suspended its participation in 2007 and pulled out fully last year. The statement also warned that the Vienna document, the chief paper designed to ensure exchange of information on military movements, “is in need of substantial modernisation”. The Open Skies treaty, aimed at enabling air forces to monitor the movement of other countries’ ground forces, has not been fully implemented, the statement said. It added: “Confronted with the increasingly unstable security situation in Europe, we see an urgent need to re-establish strategic stability, restraint, predictability and verifiable transparency and to reduce military risks. “We are convinced that a relaunch of conventional arms control is one important path towards a genuine and effective cooperative security allowing for peace and stability on our continent. “We are preparing for an in-depth and inclusive debate on the future of conventional arms control in Europe through an exploratory, structured dialogue.”

Steinmeier claimed measures such as monitoring are a “tried and tested tool for transparency, risk avoidance and confidence building”. He told Die Welt that Europe’s security was in danger, adding that Russia’s involvement in the Ukraine crisis was threatening to turn into a “new armament spiral”. “As difficult as ties to Russia may currently be, we need more dialogue, not less. We have a responsibility to leave no stone unturned in our effort to increase security and peace.” However, the US is unsure if any deal would have any real effect and is sceptical of whether Russia would abide by such an agreement. Steinmeier also drew criticism from the US and Nato officials in June after warning that western military manoeuvres in eastern Europe amounted to “sabre-rattling and shrill war cries” which he said could increase tensions with Moscow.

Nato’s planned enhancement of its military presence in the Baltics and Poland next May is aimed at military force projection in the Black Sea and eastern Europe, and to discourage Russia from using its modernised forces to enter former Russian-occupied countries.

Moscow has deployed its S-400 air missile defence system and Iskander ballistic missile system in the Russian exclave Kaliningrad, situated between Nato members Lithuania and Poland. The move has alarmed countries throughout central Europe. Putin has rejected Washington’s allegations that the move would destabilise security in Europe, arguing that it is in fact leading to an arms balance in the region.