MOSCOW: Russia on Tuesday (Aug 5) suggested it could deploy intermediate-range missiles after ending a self-imposed moratorium on producing or deploying the weapons, which were banned for decades under a Cold War treaty with the United States.
Washington and Moscow had prohibited missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500km under the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. But US President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal during his first term in 2019, accusing Russia of failing to comply.
The Kremlin said at the time it would continue to abide by a moratorium if the US did not deploy missiles within striking distance of Russia.
Russia’s foreign ministry said on Monday it was ending the self-imposed restrictions, with the Kremlin hinting on Tuesday that Moscow could soon deploy the previously-banned missiles.
“There are no longer any restrictions in Russia in this regard. Russia no longer considers itself limited in any way,” President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters.
Moscow was “entitled, if necessary, to take appropriate measures” on the deployment of the missiles, he said, adding that there would be no public announcement if Russia decided to station the missiles.
