Conventional Arms Control in Europe

Modernization of the conventional arms control regime in Europe (CACE) has been a pressing issue since 2007, when Russia withdrew from the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE Treaty). A number of Russian experts’ opinions on the subject are outlined in detail in the September 2012 issue of the PIR Center’s Study Papers “Conventional Arms Control in Europe – the End of a Regime or to be Continued?” by Russian Deputy Minister of Defense and PIR Center Advisory Board Member Anatoly Antonov and independent expert Rodion Ayumov.

Having fulfilled its main task – to liquidate surplus of conventional arms – the CFE Treaty started to increasingly transform into a tool of collective control over Russian armed forces and of discriminatory limitations. Therefore setting a moratorium on the operation of the treaty was a consistent decision of Russian leadership and did not come unexpectedly for other parties. What comes next? Now it is apparent that there can be no return neither to the CFE Treaty of 1990, nor to the Agreement of its Adaptation of 1999, and authors are candid about it. Equally, there can also be no return to flank limitations for Russia in any form, even reduced.

In response to Russia’s concerns about deployment of missile defense system in Europe our western partners emphasize openness and transparency. Maybe the same approach should be taken in the sphere of conventional arms? PIR Center experts try to answer the question within the framework of this Project.

Publications:

1. Vienna Document, Confidence-building Measures in the Security Field and Control over Conventional Forces (in Russian), a speech by Ltn-Gen. Evgeny Buzhinsky at the Plenary Session of the OSCE Security Cooperation Forum, Vienna, February 13, 2013

2. Conventional Arms Control in Europe: the End of the Regime or to be Continued? PIR Center Study Papers: Russia and Global Security

3. Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty: What Is Russia Trying to Achieve? Russia Confidential, №4, 2011

4. The CFE Treaty – Yesterday, Today… Tomorrow?.. (in Russian) Indeks Bezopasnosti, № 1 (96), 2011

5. The CFE Treaty – Yesterday, Today… Tomorrow?.. (in Russian) Indeks Bezopasnosti, № 2 (97), 2011