NATO announces formal suspension of Cold War-era security treaty after Russia’s pullout

By LORNE COOK

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO has announced the formal suspension of a key Cold War-era security treaty in response to Russia’s pullout from the deal. The alliance said on Tuesday that its members who signed the treaty are now freezing their participation in the pact. Most 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, but not fully ratified until two years later. Russia’s foreign ministry announced earlier Tuesday that Moscow had finalized its withdrawal.