The Vienna Document is a series of agreements on confidence and security-building measures between the states of

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

, starting in 1990, with subsequent updates in 1992, 1994, 1999 and 2011. The Vienna Document 2011 was adopted by 57

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is the world's largest regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization with observer status at the United Nations. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, pro ...

(OSCE) participating states, including the states of

Central Asia Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes the fo ...

and

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

(for its territory west of the

Ural Mountains The Ural Mountains ( ; rus, Ура́льские го́ры, r=Uralskiye gory, p=ʊˈralʲskʲɪjə ˈɡorɨ; ba, Урал тауҙары) or simply the Urals, are a mountain range that runs approximately from north to south through western ...

). It described its ''zone of application'' (ZOA) as "the whole of Europe, as well as the adjoining sea area and air space".

Creation

The Vienna Document was first adopted in 1990 as a combination of confidence and security-building measure (CSBMs) from the 1975

Helsinki Accords The Helsinki Final Act, also known as Helsinki Accords or Helsinki Declaration was the document signed at the closing meeting of the third phase of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) held in Helsinki, Finland, betwee ...

and the 1986 Stockholm Document. The Vienna Document on CSBMs and the

Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe The original Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) was negotiated and concluded during the last years of the Cold War and established comprehensive limits on key categories of conventional military equipment in Europe (from the Atlan ...

(CFE) were seen as parallel peace process components.

Updates

1990s

The Vienna Document was updated in 1992, 1994,1999 and 2011.

2000s

The Vienna Document was seen as a low priority in the West in the 2000s. Russian suspension of the

(CFE) in 2007 complicated negotiations for updating the Vienna Document.

2010s

The 2010 adoption of the ''Vienna Document plus'', initiated by Russia, led to the ''Vienna Document 2011''. Four Vienna Document Plus decisions, including prior notification of sub-threshold major military activities and on the lengths of air base visits, were added in 2012 and 2013. Full updates to the Vienna Document stopped with the 2014

Russo-Ukrainian War The Russo-Ukrainian War; uk, російсько-українська війна, rosiisko-ukrainska viina. has been ongoing between Russia (alongside Russian separatists in Ukraine) and Ukraine since February 2014. Following Ukraine's Rev ...

. Vienna Document 2011 confidence-building measures were used during the first year of the war, with 19 verification actions in Ukraine by 27 states and 5 verification actions in Russia by 11 states, including Ukraine, by October 2014. Vienna Document 2011 confidence-building measures were blocked in the parts of Ukraine not controlled by Ukrainian government forces. During negotiations in 2016 and 2018, Western negotiators aimed to strengthen the Vienna Document, while Russian negotiators preferred to implement the Vienna Document 2011 and following Vienna Document Plus decisions. In 2017, the Vienna Document, the CFE and the

Treaty on Open Skies The Treaty on Open Skies establishes a program of unarmed aerial surveillance flights over the entire territory of its participants. The treaty is designed to enhance mutual understanding and confidence by giving all participants, regardless ...

were seen by the OSCE as "a web of interlocking and mutually reinforcing arms control obligations and commitments" that "together ... enhance predictability, transparency and military stability and reduce the risk of a major conflict in Europe."

2020s

As of late 2020, military exercises by both Western and Russian forces took place as ''snap exercises'' (close to borders and on short notice) that are not covered by the Vienna Document 2011. Researcher Wolfgang Zellner saw the mix of cooperation and deterrence that had developed through to the early 2000s as evolving to an increasing mutual deterrence scenario. As of late 2020, Russian objections to updating the Vienna Document were that a broader arms control agreement was needed.

Proposed updates

Updates to the Vienna Document proposed around 2016 include lowering the threshold for prior notification of military activities, risk reduction (Chapter III) proposals, additional or stronger inspections, independent fact-finding missions, and creating a centralised

OSCE The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is the world's largest regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization with observer status at the United Nations. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, prom ...

database on OSCE participating states' main weapons systems. Forty-three of the OSCE participating states declared after the December 2020 meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council that their intention was to "enhance reciprocal military transparency and predictability and reduc risk by updating the Vienna document".

Structure

The Vienna Document 2011 includes eleven chapters. Except for Chapter II, the chapters apply to military forces in the ''zone of application'' (ZOA), defined as the land and air space of Europe west of the

and the Central Asian participating states, and surrounding sea areas. * I. Annual exchange of military information (AEMI) * II. Defence planning * III. Risk reduction * IV. Contacts * V. Prior notification of certain military activities (CMA) * VI. Observation of certain military activities * VII. Annual calendars * VIII. Constraining provisions * IX. Compliance and verification * X. Regional measures * XI. Annual Implementation Assessment Meeting (AIAM) * XII. Final provisions

Actions

The annual exchanges of military information (Chapter I in Vienna Document 2011) take place in Vienna in December. Until 2015, when Russia completely stopped participating in the

(CFE), CFE and Vienna Document military information exchange was done together at the December Vienna meetings. As of the 15 February 2022 emergency Vienna Document meeting called by Ukraine during the

2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis In March and April 2021, Russian president Vladimir Putin ordered the Russian military to begin massing thousands of personnel and equipment near its border with Ukraine and in Crimea, representing the largest mobilization since the anne ...

after Russia failed to respond to Ukraine's request to give details about the Russian military buildup around Ukraine, less than 11 emergency Vienna Document meetings had been held.

1990s and 2000s

From 1992 to 2012, an average of 90 inspections and 45 evaluation visits were carried out annually.

2010s

Russia used the provisions of the Document in early April 2015 to force

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two N ...

to agree to a Russian inspection team being present at the 2015 Joint Warrior exercise off the coast of Scotland.

2020s

On April 9, 2021, Ukraine invoked Paragraph 16.1.3 of the Vienna Document to try to get an explanation on suspicious Russia's military activities near Ukrainian border and in

Crimea Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a p ...

that was left unanswered by Russian authorities. On April 10, 2022 Ukraine has formally requested a meeting with the council of

(OSCE) which Russian authorities also (allegedly) refused to attend. US, Germany, France and Poland missions to OSCE have decried Russia's move as "unhelpful". In November and December 2021, during the

, Russian military officers made a Vienna Document 2011 visit to Latvia to inspect Latvian military forces. In January 2022, a pre-planned 24–29 January arms inspection by Latvian military officers to the

Bryansk Bryansk ( rus, Брянск, p=brʲansk) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Bryansk Oblast, Russia, situated on the Desna (river), River Desna, southwest of Moscow. Population: Geography Urban la ...

and

Smolensk Smolensk ( rus, Смоленск, p=smɐˈlʲensk, a=smolensk_ru.ogg) is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River, west-southwest of Moscow. First mentioned in 863, it is one of the oldest ...

regions of Russia, again under the Vienna Document 2011, was refused by Russian authorities, who stated the reason as

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

restrictions. The Latvian Ministry of Defence commented that the pandemic had not prevented the holding of the exercise. The Defence Minister,

Artis Pabriks Artis Pabriks (born 22 March 1966) is a Latvian politician. Since January 2019 he has been the Minister for Defence and Deputy Prime Minister of Latvia. From 2014 to 2018, he was a Member of the European Parliament. Early life and career After ...

, described the Russian reason for refusal as

"a poor excuse" that "raise suspicions that Russia want dto hide something by not disclosing the actual scope and intent of its military movements as required by heOSCE cooperation framework".

On 10 February 2022, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania invoked the Vienna Document 2011, requesting information from Belarus on "the total number of troops, battle tanks, armoured combat vehicles, artillery pieces, mortars and rocket launchers, envisaged sorties per aircraft, and rapid-reaction forces" of the '' Union Resolve 2022'' military exercise planned for Russian forces during 10–20 February 2022 in Belarus. The Russian ambassador to Belarus, Boris Gryzlov, stated in a television interview that the forces involved were below the notification limit, and "therefore there is nothing to worry about". The Belarusian official response stated that the size of the exercise was under the reporting threshold. Estonian officials described the Belarusian response as "insufficient" and interpreted the response as showing "no interest in transparency and confidence building". On 11 February, 2022, Ukraine invoked Chapter III of the Vienna Document, ''risk reduction'', requesting Russia to provide "detailed explanations on military activities in the areas adjacent to the territory of Ukraine and in the temporarily occupied Crimea." Russia did not respond within the required 48-hour deadline. On 13 February, Ukraine requested an emergency OSCE meeting within 48 hours for Russia to provide a response. On 14 February, the Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov and the Belarusian Defence Minister

Viktor Khrenin Viktor Gennadievich Khrenin ( be, Віктар Генадзевіч Хрэнін, russian: Виктор Геннадиевич Хренин) is a senior leader in the Belarusian Armed Forces and the current Minister of Defense. Lieutenant Genera ...

agreed on confidence-building and transparency measures for risk reduction. The plan included visits by Reznikov to the Russian–Belarusian ''Allied Resolve 2022'' military exercise and by Khrenin to the Ukrainian ''Zametil 2022'' military exercise. Reznikov described the agreement as a positive signal. On 15 February, the Vienna Document emergency meeting was held for OSCE participant states, as requested by Ukraine. The Russian OSCE representative was absent from the meeting. The US ambassador to the OSCE, Michael R. Carpenter, described the Russian absence as "unfortunat and regrettabl .

Similar agreements

While the Vienna Document 2011 is limited to forces in Europe and Central Asia, the Global Exchange of Military Information applies to all forces of the participating states, wherever located.

References

{{reflist, refs= {{cite web, title=Synopses, url=http://dtirp.dtra.mil/tic/synopses/vdoc99.aspx, publisher= Defense Treaty Ready Inspection Readiness Program; Treaty Information Center, date=2012, access-date=10 August 2013, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130719192700/http://dtirp.dtra.mil/tic/synopses/vdoc99.aspx, archive-date=2013-07-19, url-status=dead {{cite web, title=Arms Control and International Security, Overview of 2011 Vienna Document, url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/t/avc/cca/c43837.htm, publisher=U.S. Department of State, access-date=10 August 2013, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128085206/https://2009-2017.state.gov/t/avc/cca/c43837.htm, archive-date=2022-01-28, url-status=live {{cite web , last1 = Shakirov , first1 = Oleg , title= The future of the Vienna Document , website= PIR Center , year = 2019 , url = https://www.pircenter.org/media/content/files/14/15754830230.pdf , access-date = 2022-02-10 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210126074208/https://www.pircenter.org/media/content/files/14/15754830230.pdf , archive-date= 2021-01-26 , url-status=live {{cite journal , last1 = Zellner , first1 = Wolfgang , author1-link = , title = Addressing the Threat of Uncontrolled Escalation by Means of Conventional Arms Control in Europe , journal = Security and Human Rights , volume =30 , issue = , pages =101–107 , publisher =

Brill Publishers Brill Academic Publishers (known as E. J. Brill, Koninklijke Brill, Brill ()) is a Dutch international academic publisher founded in 1683 in Leiden, Netherlands. With offices in Leiden, Boston, Paderborn and Singapore, Brill today publishes 2 ...

, date = 2020-12-03 , url = https://brill.com/view/journals/shrs/30/1-4/article-p100_100.xml?language%3Den , doi = 10.1163/18750230-03001002 , doi-access = free , id = , access-date = 2022-02-10 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220209190438/https://brill.com/view/journals/shrs/30/1-4/article-p100_100.xml?language%3Den , archive-date= 2022-02-09 , url-status=live {{cite news, last1=Farmer , first1=Ben , last2=Parfitt , first2=Tom , title=Russian inspectors arrive at British war games off Scotland , newspaper=

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...

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UK government ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal Arms , date_est ...

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, year = 2011 , url = https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/a/4/86597.pdf , access-date = 2022-02-10 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220209010342/https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/a/4/86597.pdf , archive-date= 2022 , url-status=live {{cite news , last1=Sprenger, first1=Sebastian , title= Baltic nations launch OSCE appeal over Russia-Belarus drill , date= 2022-02-10 , newspaper=

Defense News ''Defense News'' is a website and newspaper about the politics, business, and technology of national security published by Sightline Media Group. Founded in 1986, ''Defense News'' serves an audience of senior military, government, and industry d ...

, url= https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2022/02/09/baltic-nations-launch-osce-appeal-over-russia-belarus-drill , access-date= 2022-02-11 , archive-url= https://archive.today/cSWTI , archive-date= 2022-02-10 , url-status=live {{cite news , title= Russian ambassador: Allied Resolve exercise does not exceed Vienna Document limit , date= 2022-02-09 , newspaper=

BelTA The Belarusian Telegraph Agency or BelTA ( be, Беларускае Тэлеграфнае Агенцтва, russian: link=no, Белорусское Телеграфное Агентство, БелТА) is the state-owned national news agency ...

, url= https://eng.belta.by/society/view/russian-ambassador-allied-resolve-exercise-does-not-exceed-vienna-document-limit-147633-2022 , access-date= 2022-02-11 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220210031426/https://eng.belta.by/society/view/russian-ambassador-allied-resolve-exercise-does-not-exceed-vienna-document-limit-147633-2022 , archive-date= 2022-02-10 , url-status=live {{cite news , last1= Gotev , first1= Georgi , title= Latvia accuses Russia of COVID 'pretext' to cancel arms control inspections , date= 2022-01-26 , newspaper=

Euractiv Euractiv (styled EURACTIV) is a pan-European news website specialised in EU policies, founded in 1999 by the French media publisher Christophe Leclercq. Its headquarters and central editorial staff are located in Brussels,with further offices in ...

, url= https://www.euractiv.com/section/global-europe/news/latvia-accuses-russia-of-covid-pretext-to-cancel-arms-control-inspections , access-date= 2022-02-11 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220128050358/https://www.euractiv.com/section/global-europe/news/latvia-accuses-russia-of-covid-pretext-to-cancel-arms-control-inspections , archive-date= 2022-01-28 , url-status=live {{cite web , title= Russia's Defence Ministry declines Latvian OSCE inspection and publishes false statements about arrival of Latvian inspectors to its neighbouring country , date= 2022-01-25 , website=

Ministry of Defence (Latvia) The Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republikas Aizsardzības ministrija) is the Latvian government ministry in charge of the formation and implementation of national security and defence policy, and for the overall m ...

, url= https://www.mod.gov.lv/en/news/russias-defence-ministry-declines-latvian-osce-inspection-and-publishes-false-statements-about , access-date= 2022-02-11 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220201114123/https://www.mod.gov.lv/en/news/russias-defence-ministry-declines-latvian-osce-inspection-and-publishes-false-statements-about , archive-date= 2022-02-01 , url-status=live {{cite news , title= Ukraine asks Russia to provide clarifications on military activities in regions adjacent to Ukrainian territory , date= 2022-02-11 , newspaper=

Interfax-Ukraine The Interfax-Ukraine ( uk, Інтерфакс-Україна) is a Kyiv-based Ukrainian independent news agency founded in 1992. The company does not belong to the Russian news corporation Interfax Information Services. The company publishes i ...

, url= https://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/797754.html , access-date= 2022-02-11 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220211173640/https://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/797754.html , archive-date= 2022-02-11 , url-status=live {{cite news , last1= Sprenger , first1=Sebastian , title= Ukraine joins Baltic nations in OSCE query of Russian troop movements , date= 2022-02-11 , newspaper=

, url= https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2022/02/11/ukraine-joins-baltic-nations-in-osce-query-of-russian-troop-movements , access-date= 2022-02-12 , archive-url= https://archive.today/iLuGu , archive-date= 2022-02-12 , url-status=live {{cite news , title= Ukraine requests OSCE meeting over Russia's military build-up , date= 2022-02-13 , newspaper=

Ukrinform The National News Agency of Ukraine ( uk, Українське національне інформаційне агентство), or Ukrinform ( uk, Укрінформ), is a state information and news agency, and international broadcaster of ...

, url= https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-polytics/3403172-ukraine-requests-osce-meeting-over-russias-military-buildup.html , access-date= 2022-02-13 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220213195829/https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-polytics/3403172-ukraine-requests-osce-meeting-over-russias-military-buildup.html , archive-date= 2022-02-13 , url-status=live {{cite web , language = uk , title= Олексій Резніков провів телефонну розмову з Міністром оборони Республіки Білорусь Віктором Хреніним , trans-title = Telephone conversation between Oleksii Reznikov and Viktor Khrenin, the Ukrainian Defence Minister , website=

Ministry of Defence (Ukraine) {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in state ...

, date = 2022-02-14 , url = https://www.mil.gov.ua/news/2022/02/14/oleksij-reznikov-proviv-telefonnu-rozmovu-z-ministrom-oboroni-respubliki-bilorus-viktorom-hreninim , access-date = 2022-02-14 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220214212405/https://www.mil.gov.ua/news/2022/02/14/oleksij-reznikov-proviv-telefonnu-rozmovu-z-ministrom-oboroni-respubliki-bilorus-viktorom-hreninim , archive-date= 2022-02-14 , url-status=live {{cite news , title= Russia skips OSCE meeting on Ukraine crisis , date= 2022-02-15 , newspaper=

WION WION (World is One News) is an Indian multinational English language news channel headquartered in New Delhi. It is owned by the Essel Group and is part of the Zee Media network of channels. The channel covers global news and current affairs. ...

, url= https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-skips-osce-meeting-on-ukraine-crisis-453600 , access-date= 2022-02-15 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220215194719/https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-skips-osce-meeting-on-ukraine-crisis-453600 , archive-date= 2022-02-15 , url-status=live {{void , templates for copying/pasting: {{cite news , last1= , first1= , last2= , first2= , pages= , language = , title= , trans-title = , date= , publisher= , newspaper= , url= , access-date= 2022... , archive-url= , archive-date= 2022... , url-status=live {{cite web , last1 = , first1 = , last2= , first2= , authorlink = , language = , title= , trans-title = , work = , publisher = , website= , date = , url = , format = , doi = , access-date = 2022... , archive-url= , archive-date= 2022... , url-status=live International law Arms control Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Russia–NATO relations