What does Russia’s exit from CFE mean for global arms control?

Treaties are hard fought and often take years to negotiate.

They are designed to keep peace and prevent rival countries from going to war with each other.

The Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), signed in 1990 towards the end of the Cold War, has been described as the cornerstone of European security, limiting the build-up of weapons from the Atlantic Ocean to the Ural Mountains.

Signatories included the United States, NATO members, the former Soviet Union and Eastern European allies. But in recent years, NATO’s expansion to the east and Russia’s security interests have left the treaty all but meaningless.

Can this Cold War treaty be salvaged?

Presenter: Mohammed Jamjoom

Guests:

Peter Eltsov – Associate professor of international security studies at the National Defense University

Pavel Felgenhauer – Defence and military analyst

Samuel Ramani – Associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute and author of, Putin’s War on Ukraine