UK Stops Sharing Military Information With Russia

Russia Military Relations With Britain

First Posted: 25/11/11 11:53 Updated: 25/11/11 12:01   PA

The UK is to stop sharing military information with Russia under an international convention following Moscow's failure to co-operate, the Government has announced.

The Russians suspended compliance with the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) in December 2007.

The treaty places limits on the build-up of troops, tanks, artillery and other non-nuclear forces from the Atlantic to the Ural Mountains.

Europe Minister David Lidington said despite "considerable efforts to engage the Russian Federation" talks had broken down.

The decision was formally announced at a meeting in Vienna on Tuesday and Mr Lidington's statement to Parliament follows the United States' declaration it would halt co-operation with Russia.

In a written Commons statement Mr Lidington said: "Since December 2007, we have continued to fulfil our CFE Treaty obligations, and attempted to exercise our Treaty rights.

"We, our North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) allies and other States Parties to the Treaty have also made considerable efforts to engage the Russian Federation in negotiations aimed at finding a mutually acceptable resolution, but without success."

He said a situation where 29 nations "fulfilled their Treaty obligations and one did not" could not continue indefinitely.

"As a result, alongside a number of CFE Treaty signatories, the United Kingdom announced that for as long as the Russian Federation fails to fulfil its obligations towards the United Kingdom under the CFE Treaty, we will cease fulfilment of our key obligations towards the Russian Federation."

Russian president Dmitry Medvedev warned on Thursday that he could deploy missiles to target a proposed US missile shield based in Europe. "The United States and its Nato partners as of now aren't going to take our concerns about the European missile defence into account," Mr Medvedev said.

FOLLOW HUFFPOST UK POLITICS

The UK is to stop sharing military information with Russia under an international convention following Moscow's failure to co-operate, the Government has announced. The Russians suspended compli...
The UK is to stop sharing military information with Russia under an international convention following Moscow's failure to co-operate, the Government has announced. The Russians suspended compli...
Filed by Dina Rickman  | 
 
 
  • Comments
  • 8
  • Pending Comments
  • 0
  • View FAQ
Post Comment Preview Comment
To reply to a Comment: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to.
View All
Favorites
Recency  | 
Popularity
16:52 on 25/11/2011
We can't even put planes on our aircraft carriers so I a sure the Russian, who have a rapidly growing economy could not care less.
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
Mickey Mouse 1
There are no lies or deceit on a chess board.
15:05 on 25/11/2011
Never mind Russia, if we want the country destroyed we vote Labour!
14:33 on 25/11/2011
Time we reversed the defence cuts and then go on to increase the defence budget
13:48 on 25/11/2011
Yes the cold war never really melted away.
Beware, communism is not dead.
As our western structure crumble,s, many
of these old former foe,s may think again,
regarding their future.
wes
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
FanaticRealist
Romney's Dog: 21st Century Schrodinger's Cat
14:58 on 25/11/2011
Actually, it did die.

And all of the people who were old-style autocrats in the USSR became new-style autocrats in the new Russia. They just flipped over from being communists and became nationalist fascists instead - the pay is better, the suits are better tailored and you get to be driven in a Mercedes-Benz instead of a ZiL.

But the mindset is still the same and they'll use natural resources as an economic weapon long before they use missiles of any sort, as they have already shown.
16:23 on 25/11/2011
Correct too a point,the cold war was a mindset/ mind
games ,war games not, played out in full, thank god,
or most of us would not be here now.
Wars have always started ,when this country was at a low ebb,
modern wars anyway.
The concept of mutual desruction, has kept the peace
since WW2, and let,s hope this will continue.
Russia has kept out of regional conflicts recently,
they learned the hard way,
we are only starting too learn ours, sad too say.
wes
photo
European1919
I am the PigmⒶn
12:46 on 25/11/2011
So?
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Aj Meleisea
12:23 on 25/11/2011
Uhhhh... let the 2nd Cold War begin?