Russia withdraws from arms treaty
Saturday, 14 Jul 2007 13:08
Vladimir Putin visited the US earlier this month
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Russia has withdrawn from the Conventional Forces in Europe treaty (CFE) due to what it called "extraordinary circumstances" for the security of the country.
The treaty involves limiting the number of military weapons, such as tanks, aircraft and artillery, in areas of Europe.
It was originally signed in 1990 and was revised in 1999 at the behest of Russia, but the other Nato countries have failed to ratify the new agreement.
James Appathurai, spokesman for Nato, described the decision as a "step in the wrong direction".
Despite Mr Putin's visit to the US for talks with president George Bush earlier this month, Russia is still firmly against US plans to involve eastern European territories in its missile defence system.
This latest change of mood within Moscow is thought by many to be a symbolic gesture towards the US.
Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman at the Kremlin, told the Associated Press news agency that the absence of a Nato ratification for the CFE was something that "contradicts Russia's interests".
"Russia continues to expect that other nations that have signed the CFE will fulfil their obligations," he added.