http://news.yam.com/afp/international/200712/20071206033861.html
俄羅斯承諾維持目前在歐俄兵力規模
法新社╱陳政一 2007-12-06 22:50
(法新社莫斯科六日電)「國際傳真社」和「伊塔─塔斯社」報導,莫斯科今天承諾,俄羅斯在退出冷戰時代簽署的歐洲傳統武力條約後,將會維持俄國目前在歐洲領土的兵力。
報導引述俄羅斯副外長葛魯希科的話說:「如果北大西洋公約組織不試圖增加兵力,俄羅斯顯然沒有打算增加在歐洲的兵力。」
莫斯科決定中止參與歐洲傳統武力條約,此一決定將在十二日生效。這項條約限制歐洲全境的武器和部隊部署。
葛魯希科說,北約和俄羅斯明天將在布魯塞爾討論歐洲傳統武力條約,這項會談的議題還包括阿富汗和柯索伏。柯索伏目前是塞爾維亞的一個省分,俄國反對西方推動允許柯索伏獨立。
葛魯希科表示,莫斯科希望討論的一個方案,是允許北約部隊經由俄羅斯進入阿富汗的可能性。
目前前往阿富汗的北約部隊,必須搭機經由喬治亞、亞塞拜然和中亞進入。美國目前在中亞國家吉爾吉斯擁有一個空軍基地。
http://au.news.yahoo.com/071212/19/158ss.html
Russia walks away from CFE arms treaty
Wednesday December 12, 07:10 PM
MOSCOW (AFP) - Russia on Wednesday walked out of a key Cold War treaty setting limits on troops and weapons across Europe, but promised there were no immediate plans for a major military build-up.
Russia's participation in the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty was suspended from midnight in Moscow (2100 GMT Tuesday), the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
"Such a step has been caused by the exceptional circumstances connected to the content of the treaty which concern the security of Russia and demand that we take immediate measures," the ministry statement said.
Signed in 1990 and modified in 1999, the CFE places precise limits on the stationing of troops and heavy weapons from the Atlantic coast to Russia's Ural mountains -- a mammoth agreement that helped resolve the Cold War standoff.
President Vladimir Putin, who has made a priority of restoring Russian military might, signed a decree ordering Moscow's suspension of the treaty last month.
Suspension means troops can now be moved around the country without notifying NATO.
The foreign ministry said that Russia was no longer "constrained by the limitations placed on arms deployments on its flanks."
However, the ministry added a reassuring note, saying: "We have no current plans to accumulate massive armaments on our neighbours' borders."
In theory, Russia can return to the treaty at any time, but analysts say that is unlikely, given mounting East-West tensions.
The demise of the CFE comes on top of Moscow's threat to leave the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces treaty, as well as tensions around US plans to install a missile-defence shield in NATO members Poland and the Czech Republic.
At the heart of Russia's complaints on the CFE is NATO's failure to ratify the amended 1999 version of the treaty, taking into account the huge changes wrought by the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.
NATO countries say they cannot ratify the 1999 version because Russian troop presence in ex-Soviet Georgia and Moldova violates the treaty, a charge Moscow rejects.
In addition, Moscow has been pushing for changes to CFE limits on moving troops to the European, western flank of the vast country. "Imagine that President (George W.) Bush cannot move his forces from California to the New York region," Antonov said. "It's ridiculous."
Russia also wants Baltic countries such as Estonia, once part of the Soviet Union and thus of the Warsaw Pact, to join the CFE.
Observers said the long list of problems made the CFE unlikely to get back on track. "The treaty is dead," military analyst Pavel Felgenhauer said.
Last week Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko gave a mixed message about possible changes in troop levels.
"Russia has no plans to raise its military presence in Europe, obviously, that is, if there is not an attempt to raise the military presence by NATO countries," he said.
According to Felgenhauer "it is practically inevitable that Russia will begin moving weapons west, primarily to borders of Baltic states."
"It makes a lot of economic sense to move forces from Siberia to Leningrad district, because it's two or three times more expensive to keep them in Siberia. It will also send a powerful signal to the West. It's a win-win situation for Russia."