Russia – Q&A from the press briefing (7 November 2023)

Q: Russia’s decision to withdraw from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) takes effect today. What consequences does France envision as a result?

A: France has condemned this decision since June. It undermines a treaty signed in 1990 with the aim of strengthening trust and reducing the risk of conflict on the European continent. With Russia’s withdrawal from the treaty, coming as it wages an illegal, unjustified war against Ukraine, it is once again choosing to disengage from existing conventional arms control frameworks and continuing to jeopardize Europe’s security architecture.

With regard to the consequences of this withdrawal and in respect of international law, France and its Allies who are states parties to the CFE have decided to suspend the treaty.

France remains fully committed to conventional arms control provisions and the fundamental principles underpinning them, including the principles laid down in the Helsinki Decalogue and the Charter of Paris for a New Europe.

ur une nouvelle Europe.