NATO has condemned Russia’s decision to quit the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, saying it "further demonstrates Moscow's continued disregard for arms control."
The Russian Foreign Ministry said on June 9 that Moscow will withdraw from the treaty, known as the CFE, on November 7.
The statement said all countries involved in the treaty had been informed about the move.
It added that Finland's recent accession to NATO and Sweden's plans to join the alliance "significantly disrupted the secure and stable balance of conventional armed forces in Europe's north and was the last straw that made it necessary for Russia to leave the treaty."
Moscow signaled the move in May, when it said that the treaty was contrary to Russia's security interests "due to the changed situation."
NATO said in a statement that the allies condemned Russia's decision the withdraw from the treaty, calling it a “cornerstone of Europe’s security architecture."
"Russia’s decision to withdraw from the CFE Treaty is the latest in a series of actions that systematically undermines Euro-Atlantic security," the statement said.
Russia announced in 2015 that it was completely halting its participation in the treaty by withdrawing from a consultative group. It had already suspended its participation the treaty 2007, saying NATO's expansion plans made it impossible to realize the terms of the treaty.
The treaty was signed in 1990 to establish equal limitations on major armaments for NATO and the Warsaw Pact, a collective defense treaty between the then-Soviet Union and seven Eastern European countries. The objective of the CFE was to reduce the possibility of a surprise attack and the triggering of a major offensive in Europe.
The NATO statement on June 9 said the alliance had repeatedly called on Russia to comply with the CFE treaty, but Russia had "not engaged constructively, and has not taken steps towards full compliance."
The alliance also urged Russia to implement its commitments and obligations and to use the remaining time before its withdrawal to reconsider its decision, the statement said.
It said member states “remain united in our commitment to effective conventional arms control as a key element of Euro-Atlantic security.”