Expert Warns Russia’s Withdrawal from Treaty Signals Increased Military Build-Up
In an interview with British news outlet Express, national security expert William Freer expressed his opinion that Russia’s withdrawal from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) is a sign that Moscow will equip its forces with a significant amount of new military technology.
According to Freer, Russia may attempt to extensively modernize its military “after breaking the historic Cold War-era treaty.”
The expert referred to the withdrawal from the agreement as a symbolic step, indicating the tension between Moscow and NATO. He called on the West to “closely monitor” Russia’s military buildup and increase their own defense spending.
Previously, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg urged the Russian Federation to play a responsible role in arms control during a press conference in Berlin.
Ilya Kramnik, a researcher at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences, also stated that the withdrawal of Russia and NATO from the CFE is unlikely to change the balance of power.
At 00:00 hours on November 7, 2023, the Russian Federation completed the process of withdrawing from the CFE. Military observer Mikhail Khodarenok of “Gazeta.ru” examined what this treaty was and why it turned out to be disadvantageous for Russia.
Earlier, NATO stated that Russia’s withdrawal from the CFE undermined Euro-Atlantic security.
