CHISINAU, March 28. /TASS/. The Moldovan parliament has approved in the first reading the suspension of the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty. The session was streamed on the legislature's YouTube page.

"The Republic of Moldova suspends the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, signed in Paris on November 19, 1990, with the possibility of resuming its implementation in the future," the bill reads. It notes that such a decision was taken in the wake of "fundamental changes in the circumstances" since the treaty was signed.

After final approval by lawmakers the decision is to be endorsed by the president. It will enter into force 150 days after the receipt of notification by the depositary and the parties to the treaty.

The CFE Treaty was signed in 1990 and adapted in 1997. The NATO countries have not ratified the adapted version and continued to adhere to the 1990 provisions, which contain conventional arms caps based on the balance that had existed between the alliance and the now-dissolved Warsaw Treaty Organization. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an act denouncing the CFE Treaty on May 29, 2023. The act entered into force on June 9. Moscow has repeatedly stated that the blame for the termination of the agreement will rest squarely upon the United States and its allies, who opted for the path of confrontation.