April 26, 2007 - 16:23 AMT
Putin offered to declare moratorium on Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty
Russian President Vladimir Putin thinks it is expedient to declare moratorium on Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty (CFE). In his annual address to the parliament the Russian President stressed Russia's partners on the agreement - NATO member-states - have not ratified the treaty and a number of states even did not join it. Furthermore Putin said Russia may fully refuse from commitments of CFE.

Putin said, the moratorium will continue until all NATO countries have ratified and started to strictly implement it "as in fact Russia does today unilaterally". The Russian President offered to discuss this problem at the Russia-NATO meeting, and if there was no progress at upcoming talks Russia would "look at the possibility of ceasing our commitments under the CFE treaty".

Putin noted that in fact currently Russia is the only country, which keeps the so-called "flanking limits". At the same time NATO member-countries not only do not keep these limits, but also are going to station American interceptor missiles and air defense systems in their territories. In Russian President's opinion in these conditions limits for quantitative structure of troops and heavy equipment in Europe that Russia keeps is not just, Lenta.ru reports.