MOSCOW, June 9. /TASS/. Russia's final withdrawal from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) will take place on November 7, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
"Russia has notified all participating states of its decision to withdraw from the CFE Treaty 150 days after the notification. Thus, it will take place at 00:00 on November 7," the ministry said in a statement released on Friday. The diplomats added that notifications were sent to the treaty depositary (the Netherlands) and other member countries through their embassies in Moscow, as well as via the delegations to the Joint Consultative Group on the CFE Treaty in Vienna.
In addition, the Russian Foreign Ministry pointed out that as a result of the withdrawal from the CFE Treaty, two other legally binding documents related to the CFE Treaty will lose their force with regard to the Russian Federation, about which all participating states have also been informed. "These are the Concluding Act of the Negotiation on Personnel Strength of Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE-1A), on maximum levels for the availability of conventional armaments and equipment of the six states parties to the Warsaw Treaty, and the Agreement on Adaptation of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE-II). The first one was aimed at determining the levels of conventional armaments for each of the participants of the then Warsaw Treaty and the mechanism of their change. The second one is a temporary solution to the problem of flank restrictions that arose due to the dissolution of the USSR," the ministry said.
The statement pointed out that the Russian Foreign Ministry would take all necessary steps to implement the federal law on the denunciation of this treaty. "It is clear that in the new conditions the treaty has finally become a relic of the past. Our opponents should have no illusions that Russia can return to it," the diplomats pointed out.
According to the Foreign Ministry, Russia stressed in the notifications that Finland's and eventually Sweden's joining NATO "significantly violates the safe and stable balance of conventional armed forces in Northern Europe and is the last straw that made it necessary for Russia to withdraw from the treaty."
Withdrawal procedure
"Having received the Russian notification, the CFE depositary will have to convene a conference of the participating states within the time limit set by the treaty (no later than 21 days) in order to consider issues related to Russia's withdrawal from the treaty," the Russian Foreign Ministry explained.
At the conference, the Russian side will state its firm position on the basis of the federal law on the CFE Treaty denunciation, publicly reiterate to the NATO countries and the world community its view that it was the West that made it impossible for us to stay in the CFE Treaty by its destructive actions," the statement said.
On Russia's withdrawal from CFE Treaty
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the law denouncing the CFE Treaty on May 29 and it entered into force on June 9.
This treaty was signed in 1990 and adapted in 1997. However, NATO countries did not ratify the adapted version of the document and have continued to adhere to the 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.
On March 11, 2015, Russia suspended its participation in meetings of the Joint Consultative Group on the CFE Treaty, completing the process of suspending its membership in the CFE while remaining a purely de jure party to the treaty. Since then, Belarus has represented Russia’s interests in the Joint Consultative Group.