Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened to resume the 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 carries out such plans, we will consider breaking free from the previously adopted unilateral moratorium on the deployment of medium and short-range weapons," Putin said during a naval parade in St. Petersburg on July 28.
Such missiles, which can fly between 500 and 5,500 kilometers, were subject to the nuclear arms control treaty signed by the US and the Soviet Union in 1987.
Washington and Moscow left the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 2019, accusing each other of violating the treaty.
Russia later said it would not resume production of such weapons as long as the US does not deploy missiles abroad.
In early July, Washington and Berlin announced "episodic deployments" of U.S. long-range missiles, including Tomahawk cruise missiles, in Germany starting in 2026.
Putin said that "important Russian administrative and military locations" would be within the range of such missiles, which "in the future could be equipped with nuclear warheads and these missiles could reach our territories within 10 minutes."
"This situation reminds us of the cold war events related to the deployment in Europe of U.S. intermediate-range missiles," Putin said.
The Kremlin already warned earlier this month that announcing the deployment of U.S. weapons would mean European capitals would become targets for Russian missiles. /REL