The Federal Law denounces the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), signed in Paris on November 19, 1990, and entered into force on November 9, 1992.
The Treaty ensured a balance of forces of member states of the two military-political alliances – the Warsaw Treaty Organisation and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) – and limited the number of conventional arms and equipment (combat tanks, armoured combat vehicles, artillery, attack helicopters and combat planes) in the armed forces of these states. The Treaty was designed to establish a safe and stable balance of conventional armed forces in Europe and to eliminate the capability for launching a surprise attack or initiating large-scale offensive action in Europe.
The Russian Federation suspended its participation in the Treaty by Presidential Executive Order No. 872 of July 13, 2007, On the Suspension by the Russian Federation of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe and Related International Treaties and Federal Law No. 276-FZ of November 29, 2007, On the Suspension by the Russian Federation of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe.
The Treaty has lost its relevance and does not meet Russia’s interests, therefore the Russian Federation decided to withdraw from it.