Canada commented on Russia's withdrawal from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe
The Russian authorities made the decision back in May.
On the night of November 7, Russia officially completed the process of withdrawal from the CFE Treaty, the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe. Its essence is restrictions on five main categories of weapons and equipment: battle tanks, armored combat vehicles, artillery, attack helicopters and combat aircraft.
It was suspended by Russia back in 2007, in 2015 the state stopped participating in the meetings, and in May the Russian side decided to denounce the treaty.
Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly condemned Russia's actions:
"This withdrawal marks the culmination of Russia’s disregard for its obligations under the CFE Treaty, beginning with its suspension, without legal grounds, of the CFE Treaty’s application in 2007 and continuing today with its illegal and unjustifiable aggression against Ukraine, which is another state party to the CFE Treaty. Russia’s wholesale withdrawal from the CFE Treaty is yet another example of its efforts to undermine Euro-Atlantic security and the rules-based international order."
According to Joly, Canada remains committed to international arms control. Nevertheless, given Russia's withdrawal and the escalating geopolitical situation, Canada decided to temporarily suspend the Treaty starting February 7, 2024.
In addition to Russia, the signatories to the CFE Treaty also initially included the United States, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.
Subsequently, more than a dozen more countries, including Ukraine, joined the Treaty.
