[Regnum] Russia must respond to the actions of the United States, apparently, it is necessary to start producing intermediate- and shorter-range missiles (INF), President Vladimir Putin said on June 28 at an operational meeting with permanent members of the Security Council.
“Apparently, we need to start producing these strike systems and then, based on the actual situation, make decisions about where, if necessary to ensure our security, to deploy them,” the Russian leader said.
The President drew attention to the fact that the United States not only produces ground-based intermediate-range and shorter-range missile systems (INF), but also brings them to exercises in Europe, in particular to Denmark.
The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty has been in force between the United States and Russia since 1987. In August 2019, the United States officially withdrew from the treaty. The document prohibited the production, use, and storage of ground-based ballistic and cruise missiles of intermediate (1,000 to 5,500 km) and shorter (500 to 1,000 km) range, and also applied to missiles with conventional and nuclear warheads.
Following this, the United States also refused to ratify the agreement on adaptation of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe and withdrew from the Open Skies Treaty.
As Regnum reported, in April, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that Moscow would respond by refusing a moratorium on the deployment of intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles (INF) if Washington deploys such systems in any region of the world, including the Asia-Pacific and European directions. Ryabkov noted that Washington’s intention to deploy INF is irreversible.