Russia signs Europe arms pact suspension into law

Source: Reuters

MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin signed a law on Friday suspending Russia's participation in a key post-Cold War arms treaty, a move which could allow it to deploy more forces close to western Europe.

Putin's moratorium on the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty follows months of increasingly aggressive rhetoric directed against the West ahead of a parliamentary election on Sunday and a presidential vote next March.

"President Putin signed the federal law on suspending the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty," the Kremlin said in a short statement. The bill was passed by parliament this month and needed the president's signature to become law.

The United States, the European Union and NATO had urged Putin not to suspend the treaty, seen as a cornerstone of European security.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071130/wl_nm/russia_treaty_suspend_dc

Wasn't the ORIGINAL version of this pact meant that Russia should cap the numbers of troops in eastern european countries?
And now since there are (almost?) no Russian troops left in eastern europe... what's the significance of this treaty?

You can hardly forbid Russia to mount its troops anywhere within russian territory? Or is there a similar treaty limiting US forces to the east or west coast? And even if, most of the US fighting power consist of carrier groups all around the world. Now wouldn't it be cool to have a treaty forbidding the massing of carrier groups in the middle east?
Any country masses troops where it thinks is the most strategic point and where it most probably will need them within its borders.

And some countries also mostly beyond its borders.
^_^

Knowing Putin, he has a reason for doing it, but he's playing 15 moves ahead.

it may just keep stupid in chief in check

..the West. He has even learned from the US apparently....http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,,2219492,00.html

I much prefer a Russian who can predict election results ahead of time, and who is re-arming, and best of all, whose nuclear weapons are pointed at us. Of course it would be better to have the missiles closer to us so we have no warning. Shame Fidel couldn't manage it, but maybe Hugo can, he certainly knows how to win an election. You know. One man, one vote, one time.

From Russia..
with Love

another cold war. This is what we asked for when we allowed our government to disregard international law, build a missile defense system, threaten a Russian economic partner(Iran) and ignore the Geneva Convention.

Ironically, it would be an act that would bolster peace and stability.