Russia moves to scrap post‑Soviet military pacts with European states

Russia has taken a decisive step to unwind post‑Cold War military diplomacy, officially authorizing its Defense Ministry to terminate a range of bilateral military cooperation agreements with European countries. The order, published on the government's legal portal on Saturday, marks a formal end to frameworks established in the 1990s and early 2000s aimed at fostering military transparency and confidence-building.

Targeting Agreements with NATO Members

The list of nations affected includes multiple NATO members, such as Germany, Poland, Norway, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, and the Czech Republic. It also includes agreements with Bulgaria, Romania, and Croatia, effectively severing a web of formal military‑to‑military ties that had survived, albeit strained, for decades following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

A Symbolic and Strategic Unraveling

This systematic termination represents a symbolic and practical unraveling of the cooperative security architecture that once sought to integrate Russia with Europe. The pacts, which often covered areas like military contacts, exercises, and defense collaboration, have been largely dormant since the 2014 annexation of Crimea and the subsequent 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The current move formalizes their demise amid the ongoing geopolitical confrontation.

Context of Deepening Confrontation

The decision underscores the depth of the rift between Moscow and the West, moving beyond sanctions and diplomatic expulsions to actively dismantle the foundational agreements of the post‑Soviet era. It reflects Russia's strategic pivot to frame its relations with most of Europe through the lens of confrontation rather than cooperation, further consolidating a new era of hardened bloc politics on the continent.