Russia - Announcement of Russia’s withdrawal from the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty (June 9, 2023)

France condemns the Russian Federation’s decision to withdraw from the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty, a cornerstone of European security and stability and of conventional arms control architecture.

The CFE Treaty instituted restraint, transparency and the verification of conventional weapons in post-Cold War Europe. By making it possible to develop a new model of security relations based on peaceful cooperation and by establishing legally binding, verifiable commitments, it helped overcome the division of Europe. Its importance has been demonstrated on a regular basis ever since.

The Russian Federation’s decision to withdraw from the CFE Treaty follows its unilateral suspension of the Treaty’s implementation, without any legal basis, in 2007. France regrets that all the efforts made to encourage the Russian Federation to once again fully implement the treaty proved fruitless.

Following its withdrawal from the Open Skies agreements in 2021, Russia is once again opting to disengage from existing conventional arms control frameworks. Its withdrawal from the CFE Treaty is one more step toward undermining Europe’s security architecture, which Russia actively participated in by starting a brutal war of aggression against Ukraine.

France remains fully committed to conventional arms control mechanisms that help build trust, reduce military threats, prevent conflict and thereby strengthen peace and collective security on our continent.