Russia warns it may quit key arms pact in 5 months
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Saturday it would suspend its participation in a key pact limiting military forces in Europe in five months' time unless a compromise was found on updating the treaty.
The move follows months of verbal sparring with Europe and Washington on a range of fronts, including U.S. plans for a missile shield in eastern Europe, proposed independence for Serbia's Kosovo province and Moscow's energy policies.
The Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin had signed a decree suspending Russia's role in the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty for reasons of "national security."
NATO, Washington and the European Union expressed regret and disappointment at the Russian move.
The pact was adopted in 1990 to limit the number of tanks, heavy artillery and combat aircraft deployed and stored between the Atlantic and Russia's Ural mountains.
Russia criticizes the West for failing to ratify a version amended to take into account the new post-Cold War situation. Talks last month with NATO states ended without progress.
The pact requires signatories to notify other member states 150 days before suspending participation. The Foreign Ministry said it would start the notification process on Saturday.
"The Russian moratorium on the CFE pact does not mean that we are fully shutting the door to dialogue," it said.
If no solution was found in the five-month period, Russia would stop providing information and stop allowing inspections of its heavy weapons.
"Russian threats have materialized and I don't exclude that more steps could follow," said Yevgeny Volk, the head of the Washington-based Heritage Foundation think-tank.
"If there is no agreement with the United States on the missile shield ... Russia could potentially go ahead with its threats to retarget (at Europe) and redeploy missiles."
SECURITY CORNERSTONE
A NATO spokesman said of the Russian announcement: "If this is confirmed the Secretary General very much regrets this decision. The allies consider this treaty to be an important cornerstone of European security."
A spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said the EU also regretted the Russian move. Britain too called the CFE a "cornerstone" of European security.
"We're disappointed Russia has suspended its participation for now, but we'll continue to have discussions with them in the coming months on the best way to proceed in this area, that is in the interest of all parties involved and provides for security in Europe," said Gordon Johndroe, spokesman for the White House National Security Council. Continued...
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