NATO freezes a Cold War-era security pact after Russia pulls out, raising questions on arms control

By LORNE COOK and HARRIET MORRIS
Associated Press

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO allies have frozen their participation in a key Cold War-era security treaty in response to Russia’s withdrawal from the pact. Many of NATO’s 31 allies have signed the Treaty of Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, which was aimed at preventing Cold War rivals from massing forces at or near mutual borders. It was signed in November 1990 as the Soviet bloc was collapsing, but wasn’t fully ratified until two years later. Tuesday’s move came hours after Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced that Moscow had finalized its withdrawal from the treaty. It raises fresh questions about the future of arms control agreements in Europe.