Putin Suspends Arms Pact Moscow's move over anti-missle flap further imperils relations with US By Wesley Oliver Posted Jul 14, 2007 3:26 PM CDT Copied President Bush, right, accompanied by Russian President Vladimir Putin, gestures during their joint statement, Monday, July 2, 2007, at the Bush family compound at Walker's Point in Kennebunkport, Maine. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) (Associated Press) See 1 more photo Vladimir Putin suspended the Kremlin’s recognition of a key arms control treaty today, citing the threat to Russian security posed by US plans for a missile defense system in Eastern Europe. The 1990 pact limited the number of offensive weapons that could be deployed in Europe, the BBC explains; suspension means the Russians will no longer allow inspections or exchange data on arms. The move is the latest volley from Putin over the planned missile shield, which the White House says is aimed at the likes of a nuclear Iran, not its former Cold War foe. An informal summit in Maine between Putin and President Bush, where Putin proposed an alternative shield system that would involve Russian participation, did little to repair the breach. Read These Next President mixes in a coal joke in Christmas Eve call with kids. After Kennedy Center name change, holiday jazz concert is canceled. In this murder, arresting the boyfriend was a big mistake. Bizarre video shows thieves pulling an ATM out of store with SUV. See 1 more photo Report an error