Russian President Vladimir Putin says the decision by the United States to deploy long-range American missiles in Germany starting in 2026 is “reminiscent of events of the Cold War” and could prompt Russia to deploy similar missiles in response.
“If the United States implements such plans, we will consider ourselves free from the unilateral moratorium on the deployment of medium- and short-range strike weapons, including increasing the capabilities of our Navy’s coastal forces,” Putin said when speaking at Russia’s annual Navy Day in St Petersburg.
Putin said the decision by the United States and Germany to begin “episodic deployments” of the long-range missile capabilities of their Multi-Domain Task Force in Germany starting in 2026 would put Russian infrastructure within range of the missiles to be deployed.
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“This situation is reminiscent of Cold War events involving the deployment of medium-range Pershing missiles in Europe,” he said.
Pershing II missiles, designed to carry nuclear warheads, were deployed by the US military at American bases in West Germany from 1983, to the alarm of the then Soviet leaders.
They were withdrawn following the introduction of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) in 1988.
Putin added that the development of Russian medium- and short-range strike weapons was “in the final stages” and that Russia would take “reciprocal steps to deploy them.”
In July, the United States and Germany issued a joint statement on the deployment of weapons systems in Germany, stating that “when fully developed, these long-range conventional fires units will include SM-6, Tomahawk, and developmental hypersonic weapons, which have significantly greater range than current ground-based fires in Europe.”
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Russia has repeatedly threatened to end its self-declared moratorium on the use of “short-range” and “intermediate-range” land-based ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and missile launchers that could be used to carry nuclear or conventional payloads.
Announcing the moratorium after the US withdrew from the INF in 2019, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that “Russia will refrain from deploying these systems when we acquire them, unless American equipment is deployed in certain regions.”
The treaty, which the United States and Europe have accused Moscow of frequently violating, banned such missiles and has been considered a centerpiece of European security since the Cold War.
Russia soon followed the United States’ lead and withdrew from the treaty, raising fears of a new arms race.
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