Putin Threatens to Restart Production of Mid-Range Nuclear Weapons

AFP/APP

Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened on Sunday to resume the production of intermediate-range nuclear weapons if the United States confirms plans to deploy missiles to Germany or other European locations.

“If the United States carries out such plans, we will consider ourselves liberated from the unilateral moratorium previously adopted on the deployment of medium- and short-range strike capabilities,” Putin stated during a naval parade in Saint Petersburg.

These missiles, capable of traveling between 500 and 5,500 kilometers (300-3,400 miles), were governed by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty signed by the US and the Soviet Union in 1987.

However, both Washington and Moscow withdrew from the treaty in 2019, each accusing the other of violations.

Russia had previously declared that it would not resume production of such missiles as long as the US refrained from deploying them abroad.

Nevertheless, in early July, Washington and Berlin announced the start of “episodic deployments” of long-range US missiles, including Tomahawk cruise missiles, to Germany beginning in 2026.

Putin warned that important Russian administrative and military sites would fall within the range of these missiles, which could potentially be equipped with nuclear warheads, placing Russian territories within about 10 minutes of a potential strike.

He likened the current situation to the Cold War era, referencing the deployment of American Pershing medium-range missiles in Europe.

The Kremlin had previously indicated that the proposed US deployment would make European capitals targets for Russian missiles.