The Russian president, Vladimir Putinsaid this Friday that Russia should start producing short- and intermediate-range missiles that were previously banned in the arms treaty with the United States, which has now been broken.
“It seems that we need to start producing these attack systems”Putin said in a televised meeting with his top security officials, referring to missiles with a range of between 500 and 5,500 kilometers (300 to 3,500 miles) that were controlled under a deal scrapped in 2019.
The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which banned land-based missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometres (310 to 3,410 miles), was considered a milestone in arms control when Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and US President Ronald Reagan signed it in 1988.
The United States withdrew from the treaty in 2019, alleging Russian violations.
“We need to start production of these attack systems and then, based on the real situation, make decisions about where – if necessary to guarantee our security – to place them”Putin said at a meeting of Russia’s national security council.
Washington withdrew from the agreement in 2019, citing non-compliance by Russia. The Kremlin said at the time that it would enforce a moratorium on production if the United States did not deploy missiles within striking distance of Russia.
In the televised address to his top security officials on Friday, Putin said the United States had begun using such missiles in training exercises in Denmark.
“We need to react to this and make decisions about what we should do next in this area. It seems that we need to start producing these attack systems.”Putin said.
“And then, based on the reality of the actual situation, make decisions about where to deploy them for our security,” he said.
Various arms deals from the era of Cold War between the two countries, designed to limit a nuclear arms race and cool tensions at the height of the superpower rivalry, have lapsed or been cancelled in recent years.
Russia last year suspended its participation in the New START treaty, the last nuclear weapons pact between the two sides.
The United States has supplied short-range missiles to Ukraine to support kyiv in the conflict with Russia.
Last month it partially lifted a ban on Ukraine using such weapons against targets on Russian soil, prompting warnings from Moscow of a potentially dangerous escalation.
(With information from AFP and AP)
