VIENNA, December 29. /TASS/. NATO and EU countries determined to ramp up "force pressure" on Russia have essentially destroyed the mechanisms of control over conventional weapons in Europe, a Russian diplomat told TASS.

"At this point in history, the system of agreements in the area of conventional arms control in Europe and confidence and security building measures is in a profound crisis due to the foreign policy of NATO and EU countries, which have opted to bet on seeking military superiority and exerting force pressure on Russia," said Yulia Zhdanova, head of Russia’s delegation to the Vienna talks on military security and arms control.

The Russian diplomat pointed out that after the Cold War ended, the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty has served as an instrument of stability and security. However, it has seen ups and downs in its development. "Its ups followed the end of phases of dramatic confrontation and were marked by committing to paper the new balance of power. Conversely, this process slowed down and even reversed in the periods of exacerbation and growing military tensions," she explained.

"Amid the current aggravation, Washington has practically dismantled the basics of security on the continent by withdrawing from the Open Skies Treaty in 2020 and setting unacceptable terms under the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty. The only viable [treaty is the] Vienna Document on Confidence and Security Building Measures of 2011, used by the West as an instrument of information war against Russia and Belarus," she said.

"Such, to put it mildly, a 'pragmatic' approach is typical of Western countries. When three out of every four tanks in the world were Soviet-made, the CFE Treaty was a priority for our opponents. After the withdrawal of Russian forces and weapons cuts, NATO countries reluctantly engaged in the work on the Agreement on Adaptation of the CFE Treaty but never ratified it. At that time, it was more important for them to ‘squeeze out’ remaining Russian forces from the post-Soviet space. Naturally, we made principled conclusions from that for the future," she emphasized.