(Moscow) Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened on Sunday to restart production of intermediate-range nuclear weapons if the United States confirms its intention to deploy missiles in Germany or elsewhere in Europe.
“If the United States implements such plans, we will consider ourselves freed from the previously adopted unilateral moratorium on the deployment of medium- and short-range strike capabilities,” Putin said in a speech at a naval parade in St. Petersburg.
According to him, “the development of a number of such systems is at the final stage” in Russia.
“We will take retaliatory measures to deploy them, taking into account the actions of the United States, its satellites in Europe and other regions of the world,” the Russian president warned.
This type of weapon, with a range of 500 to 5,500 km, was once the subject of a limitation treaty between Washington and Moscow, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), signed during the time of the USSR.
Russia and the United States withdrew from the treaty in 2019, each accusing the other of no longer respecting its provisions. Moscow, however, announced that it would not restart production of this type of missile until the United States deployed them abroad.
RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY ARCHIVE PHOTO, PROVIDED BY REUTERS
A Yars intercontinental ballistic missile system emerges from a military shelter during what the Russian Defense Ministry called “planned exercises” in Russia, in this image from video released on July 23, 2024.
But Washington and Berlin announced in July their intention to “begin episodic deployments of long-range fire capabilities” in Germany in 2026, citing SM-6 missiles, Tomahawk missiles and hypersonic weapons under development.
“Important Russian sites of state administration and the military will be within the range of these missiles. […]”The flight time of these missiles – which in the future could be equipped with nuclear warheads – to our territories will be about 10 minutes,” Putin explained on Sunday.
Mr Putin also said the US deployed Typhoon medium-range missiles to Denmark and the Philippines in recent exercises.
“This situation is reminiscent of the events of the Cold War related to the deployment of American medium-range Pershing missiles in Europe,” Mr. Putin continued.
The Kremlin had already warned in mid-July that European capitals would become legitimate targets for Russia in the event of the deployment of American missiles on the continent.
The Russian president was speaking at the annual parade of the Russian fleet in St. Petersburg, which this year also included Chinese, Indian and Algerian ships.