CFE treaty irrelevant with defunct Warsaw Pact

[Flamming_Python]

Just to add this to the fire burning over all the cancelled treaties lately :p

RIA Novosti: http://en.rian.ru/russia/20070216/60868157.html


MOSCOW, February 16 (RIA Novosti) - The Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty has no relevance now that most of the former Warsaw Pact states have joined NATO, Russia's foreign minister said Friday.

The CFE agreement was concluded in 1990 by the 22 members of NATO and the now defunct Warsaw Pact to enhance arms control in Europe. An updated version, elaborated to adapt the accord to post-Cold War realities, was signed by all the parties in 1999, but only four - Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan - have ratified it so far.

"Imbalances that have emerged in the area [covered by] the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty are [now] going over the top in terms of a sensible equilibrium of interests and equilibrium of opportunities to ensure one's security," Lavrov said.

The trans-Atlantic alliance has said its member nations will not ratify the adapted CFE until after Russia withdraws its military bases from ex-Soviet republics, such as Georgia and Moldova.

Lavrov said the link is far-fetched and that NATO countries are just using it as a pretext not to ratify the adapted treaty, which, it seems, they do not need.

"Many analysts believe the problem is not whether or not Russia retains its peacekeeper contingents in Moldova and Georgia, all the more so since their deployment there has nothing to do with the adapted CFE," Lavrov said. "It is just that our partners have concluded they do not want the adapted CFE."

Moscow is digging in for a tough time, now that Russian-Western relations are in freefall :(

[Smersh]

Its funny how during Soviet Times there was constant talk and emphasis on maintaining peace, and tons of anti-war propaganda. I don't see that today.

[Mamont]

Sadly yes. And it's rather the other way around - more war propaganda..

[Flamming_Python]

I reckon that all this is just a bizarre political game of double-bluff.

From what I heard, the reactions of US politicians towards Putin's speech in Munich have not been all that negative as feared, and there is genuine desire to gain a clearer understanding of Russia, as well as a feeling of the need to change or adjust US foreign policy.

[themacedonian]

I reckon that all this is just a bizarre political game of double-bluff.

From what I heard, the reactions of US politicians towards Putin's speech in Munich have not been all that negative as feared, and there is genuine desire to gain a clearer understanding of Russia, as well as a feeling of the need to change or adjust US foreign policy.

They can't afford hostilities with Russia with now otherwise the rethoric would have been on Cold War levels.

[GazB]

If the ABM treaty was a cold war dinosaur as bush called it the CFE treaty is even worse. It is all about a balance between two forces that no longer exist.
It is a joke and should be ripped up. It is ironic that the CFE treaty limits the number of Tanks the Russians can have but there are no limits on the number of ICBMs they can currently have. (The only ICBM treaty is the moscow treaty that limits in service operational warheads on one specific date in 2012 or something.)

[Andromeda]

Damn....Russia is on a roll here. As the deal is settling down for that ABM shield in E.Europe russia is going to scrap this treaty and the INF treaty.I wonder whats next? Start II? Hey I guess if we can pull out of the ABM treaty so can they out of others, every soverign country has their own personal security and political motives to consider before anything else. Im just surprised that even thought they arent at the level of power and influence as cold war times that they still have the balls to stand up to america, however futile and pointless it might seem. I really dont know what to make of this latest global situation but it seems to me that all we have done really is got them pissed off and made the world a less safer place. :|

[AlterMega]

These Russia-themed threads are getting boring.

[Rictor]

Doesn't matter one way or another. The EU and Russia are smart enough not to pick a fight with each other, so the fact that Germany has X number of tanks, while Russia has Y number of IFVs doesn't much matter.

[AlterMega]

Doesn't matter one way or another. The EU and Russia are smart enough not to pick a fight with each other, so the fact that Germany has X number of tanks, while Russia has Y number of IFVs doesn't much matter.

Im sure Russia is not stupid enough to not take that scenario into account.You'd have to be a fool not too!

[GazB]

I wonder whats next? Start II?

Start II died a while back and has been replaced with the Moscow Treaty. A very weak agreement that requires both sides to have between 1,700 and 2,200 strategic nuclear warheads in service on a particular date (think the date is december 12th 2012 or something). Before the date and after the date they can have as many as they want and there are no verification rules in place... real trust.

Regarding Russian invasion of Germany... were you guys asleep in the 90s? The Russians rejected the idea of a Soviet Union after certain members left.
I rather doubt they would want a return of the Warsaw Pact.