Moscow has formally withdrawn from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe concluded at the end of the Cold War and designed to de-escalate potential East-West conflicts, Sky News reported.
The 1990 treaty placed limits on the deployment of military equipment to maintain military balance between NATO and the then-Warsaw Pact countries.
The formal withdrawal is a symbolic move that came amid rising tensions between NATO and Russia as Moscow had suspended its participation in the treaty in 2007 and halted active participation in 2015.
NATO members have already condemned Russia's decision and warned that Moscow's withdrawal "is the latest in a series of actions that systematically undermines Euro-Atlantic security."
According to the latest statement, NATO said it intends to suspend the operation of the treaty "for as long as necessary" as a consequence of Russia's decision.
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