Delegates to the two-day NATO summit in Oslo were surprised by Russia's threat on Thursday to suspend participation in the CFE arms treaty limiting conventional forces in Europe.
President Vladimir Putin said Russia should put a moratorium on its compliance with the treaty because of concerns over US plans for a missile shield in Europe. Later Russian Foreign Minister Sergej Lavrov confirmed that Russian no longer feels bund by the so-called CFE treaty.
He said the US plans for a rocket shield deployed in Europe indicated that the US and NATO were looking for an enemy. The US wants to station 10 interceptor missiles in Poland, with radar operations in the Czech Republic.
The 1990 Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty limits key offensive weapons like tanks, artillery pieces and aircraft across the continent.
The CFE was adapted in 1999 after the collapse of the Warsaw Pact.
Reacting to Mr Putin's comments at the NATO meeting in Oslo, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said: "That message was met by concern, grave concern, disappointment and regret." He underlined at his press conference that NATO for its part is working for a closer cooperation with Russia.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Jons Gahr Stoere will meet with his Russian counterpart in Oslo on Friday.
Russian President Putin's statement is thought to be on the agenda for the talks, as well as Norwegian-Russian relations.
