**Russia Officially Withdraws from International Security Pact**
In a formal move, Russia has officially pulled out of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), citing NATO’s expansion as the reason for its exit. The landmark pact, which restricts the use of conventional weapons, was announced to be untenable by Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The CFE, signed in 1990, set constraints on conventional arms and equipment with the purpose of preventing Cold War rivals from building up forces for a swift assault. However, NATO claims that Russia has not respected the terms of the treaty for many years, leading to suspensions and halting of participation.
The withdrawal comes less than a week after President Vladimir Putin revoked Russia’s ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads from one of its submarines.
The war in Ukraine has triggered the worst crisis in Moscow’s relations with the West since the depths of the Cold War. Relations with the US have been described as being “below zero” by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
NATO has condemned Russia’s decision to exit the CFE, stating that it undermines Euro-Atlantic security. The US and its allies had linked ratification of an updated version of the accord to Russia withdrawing troops from Georgia and Moldova, which Russia claimed was a wrong linkage.
The move marks a significant development in the ongoing tensions between Russia and NATO, and adds to the growing strain on international security on the global stage.