Russian President Vladimir Putin (Photo: Russian presidential press department)

The CFE Treaty, signed in 1990 by all NATO and Warsaw Pact member states, imposed restrictions on the amount of conventional arms and combat equipment its signatories can possess.

In 1999, an updated version of the treaty was signed at the Istanbul summit of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), but was ratified only by Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine.

Russia pulled out of the treaty in 2004 after NATO refused to ratify the treaty’s updated version.

Putin ordered that the treaty be denounced on May 10. The explanatory note said the treaty is outdated and no longer relevant. The bill denouncing the treaty was passed by the State Duma (Lower House) on May 16 and by the Council of the Russian Federation (Senate) on May 24.