NATO freezes arms control treaty after Russia pulls out

BRUSSELS, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) said on Tuesday that its member countries intend to suspend the operation of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) in response to Russia's decision to formally withdraw from the landmark pact at 12 midnight on Tuesday.

The decision was supported by "all NATO Allies," the military alliance said in a statement.

Russia's Foreign Ministry said that Moscow does not currently see the possibility of concluding arms control agreements with NATO countries.

The CFE, originally signed in 1990 by the then NATO members and the then six Warsaw Treaty states, came into force in 1992.

The pact was aimed at establishing a balance between the two military alliances by setting limits on the quantities of weapons and military equipment that all parties were allowed to amass.