MOSCOW, April 9. /TASS/. The Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) has largely lost its viability amid today’s security landscape, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
When asked if Moscow was concerned about Turkey’s withdrawal from the treaty, he said: "Basically, the document has largely lost its viability due to changes in geopolitical conditions and the strategic situation."
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier signed a decree announcing that the country would withdraw from the CFE Treaty on April 8.
"The situation is changing; shaped mostly by the deteriorating security situation in Europe," Peskov went on to say. "This requires collaborative dialogue to develop new approaches and a new shared vision in the field of security and strategic stability. Unfortunately, there is no such dialogue at the moment, but that’s not Russia’s fault," he added.
The CFE treaty, signed in Paris on November 19, 1990, was ratified by the Turkish government on July 1, 1992. The treaty limits the number of weapons and equipment in five basic categories (battle tanks, armored combat vehicles, artillery systems with a caliber of 100 mm and above, warplanes and attack helicopters) for the armed forces of 30 countries. It also provides for information exchanges and inspections.
Russia pulled out of the CFE treaty in November 2023. After that, the US and NATO suspended their obligations under the treaty. Ankara then expressed regret over the move by NATO allies and urged them to return to the treaty.