Russia has completely withdrawn from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, which was signed with NATO countries in 1990 in Paris.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the corresponding decree on May 10.
Russia stopped participating in this Treaty back in 2007, but it remained a party to the treaty.
The document (here is its text) limited the number of weapons and military equipment for the participating countries, and also provided for the destruction of surplus weapons. Collectively, the contracting parties have agreed that no party may have more than:
- 20 thousand tanks;
- 20 thousand units of artillery;
- 30 000 armored combat vehicles;
- 6 800 combat aircraft;
- 2 thousand attack helicopters.
The agreement also set uniform limits on the equipment that active-duty units could deploy:
- 16 500 tanks;
- 17 000 units of artillery;
- 27 300 combat armored vehicles.
In order to reach the required maximum number, the surplus equipment was to be destroyed or, if possible, converted for non-military purposes. Ukraine ratified this agreement on July 1, 1992, it is indefinite.