Posted on 11/24/2011 11:08:00 PM PST by SunkenCiv
Fourteen Nato countries have followed the United States in stopping implementation of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), by halting the flow of armament information to Russia, Nato diplomats said Wednesday.
The step was aimed at focusing Russia's attention on the long-standing conflict over the treaty, which also limits the numbers of non-nuclear arms that can be deployed, diplomats in Vienna said.
The group of Nato countries, which includes Germany, notified the Vienna-based Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) of their decision Tuesday.
More members of the 28-member military alliance were planning the same move, according to the Nato sources.
"This is a reaction to Russia having suspended the CFE treaty in 2007 and not being willing to return to it," they said.
Vienna diplomats said the move would not stop the flow of military information altogether, as OSCE countries have other formal information channels that remain in place.
Moscow stopped implementing the pact because the West did not ratify amendments to the treaty.
Nato countries had demanded that Russia withdraw from Moldova and Georgia first.
The stalemate continued at a treaty review conference in October.
The step by Nato countries "puts the CFE treaty on the table," one diplomat said in Vienna.
(Excerpt) Read more at brecorder.com ...
G’night, I’m finally nodding!
Russia is not going to comply with NATO demands and will assert its rights in the so-called “near abroad.” For Moscow, the CFE Treaty is nowadays of dubious value.
This is one of the things that should be getting more attention that it has had.
Thanks for posting it.
Russia seems to be in confrontation with NATO on Syria.
NATO is backing Al-Qaeda again while Russia and Israel performing joint drills there.
/bingo
My pleasure.
What are we to make of this?
This is 50s-style brinkmanship “diplomacy”, characteristic of the Soviet era; they’re aware that there’s a massive realignment going on, again, and have been pushed out of the Middle East over the past 38 years (starting with the 1973 war, and the roots go back at least to the 1967 war). They’ve been reasserting themselves here in our hemisphere (kept Cuba, gained Venezuela, regained Nicaragua, and have been struggling against the rise of Brazil), and the Arab Spring and whatnot will have been seen by them to be a response to their intrigues.
Turkey (whether we like it, or them, or not) is a NATO member, and it has been on a diplomatic offensive for some years now, under Erdogan. Whether or not Turkey turned on Assad’s regime, these moves by Russia are to try to diplomatically isolate Turkey, and that means a Russian shift toward support of Assad. Had the Turks stuck with Assad, Russia would have been much more direct in its support in an effort to wean Turkey and Syria apart.
Russia already supports Iran — and that’s difficult for them because Iran grows more isolated, and it’s only a matter of time before that regime goes. Iran is the Achilles’ Heel of Russian foreign policy in the Middle East, a real lose-lose situation. So, they’re all in.
During December 2011 and into 2012 the Russians Navy will conduct exercises with NATO. Many of the exercises with NATO and other countries involve search and rescue and anti piracy training. The Russians have announced their exercise schedule.
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