President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Russia should resume production of intermediate- and short-range nuclear-capable missiles, then consider where to deploy them after the United States moves similar missiles to Europe and Asia.
Russia, the US and the INF
Such a move would end the remnants of one of the most significant arms control treaties of the Cold War, amid fears that the world’s two largest nuclear powers, along with China, may be entering a new arms race.
The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, signed by Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan in 1987, represented the first time that the superpowers agreed to reduce their nuclear arsenals, eliminating an entire category of nuclear weapons.
However, in 2019, the United States under President Donald Trump formally withdrew from the INF Treaty, claiming that Moscow was violating the deal — an accusation the Kremlin repeatedly denied and viewed as a pretext for the US to build up its arsenals.
Threat to Russia’s security
Given this, Russia imposed a moratorium on its own development of missiles previously banned by the INF treaty: land-based ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of 500 km to 5,500 km. Putin mentioned that Russia had promised not to deploy such missiles, but that the United States had not only resumed their production, but had moved them to Denmark and the Philippines for military exercises.
“We need to respond to this and make decisions about what we will need to do in this direction next.“Putin was shown on state television telling Russia’s Security Council.Apparently, we need to start manufacturing these attack systems and then, based on the real situation, make decisions about where – if necessary to ensure our security – to place them.“, said.
Earlier this month, Putin said he could deploy conventional missiles within striking distance of the United States and its European allies if they allowed Ukraine to strike deeper into Russia with long-range Western weapons.
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Source: Reuters
