Russia announced on Wednesday it withdrew from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe in a declaration that was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The purpose of the treaty was to limit the number of weapons and military equipment that signatory countries could hold, as well as provide provisions for the destruction of any surplus supplies of weaponry in a nation’s arsenal.
The document details that contracting parties agree to have no more than:
- 20,000 tanks;
- 20,000 units of artillery;
- 30,000 armoured combat vehicles;
- 6,800 combat aircraft;
- 2,000 attack helicopters.
Further provision within the agreement set a limit on the equipment that any units currently in active duty can deploy while on missions, including 16,500 tanks, 17,000 units of artillery and 27,300 combat armoured vehicles.
Russia previously halted its participation in this Treaty back in 2007, but it remained a party to the agreement until now.
This marks a further worrying trend in Russia’s divergence from international order since its war in Ukraine launched on February 23, 2022, with Russia suspending its participation in the US-Russia nuclear arms treaty earlier this year.
