Russia says it is not practical to commit itself to stronger control over conventional weapons in Europe while NATO increases its activities in the region.
Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov told reporters in Moscow on February 5 that, if talks to update the 2011 Vienna treaty on the conventional arms control in Europe resume, the principles of this control mechanism should be different from those used in the Cold War-era.
"The list of strategic systems is broadening as modern conventional weapons are comparable with nuclear weapons and therefore just counting cannons and tanks is not enough," Antonov said.
According to the Vienna treaty, the Russian Defense Ministry and NATO exchange inspectors to regulate military facilities and share information on military activities in Europe.
Moscow-NATO relations are at their lowest since the end of Cold War after Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and amid the West's accusations that the Kremlin is supporting pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine.
