Putin Says US Missile Deployment in Europe Poses Threat to Russia

Pointing that everyone’s aware of the US’ plans to deploy intermediate-range missiles in Europe, Russian president Vladimir Putin stressed that Washington’s intentions to deploy IRBMs poses a great danger and threat to Russia.

Speaking at the opening of a series of defense conferences in Sochi on Monday, Putin underlined that Russia will adequately respond to foreign countries’ attempts to break strategic parity, including through deploying global missile defence’s elements in direct vicinity to Russia’s borders.

In that context, he reminded that Russia’s upgraded air defence systems have the ability to detect and destroy all types hypersonic and ballistic missiles.

Russia’s concern is that an efficient missile defense will allow the US its Western allies to abandon the accepted defense doctrine that has prevented for decades nuclear superpowers from attacking each other.

In line with the same concerns, Putin warned earlier this month that following Washington’s withdrawal from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, the arms race between Russia and the US started intensifying.

The US withdrew in August 2019 from the INF Treaty it signed with the Soviet Union in 1987, which, in the post-Cold War era, had been widely seen as a cornerstone of European security.

Washington justified its move with Russia’s alleged refusal to comply with Washington’s demand to eliminate the new 9M729 cruise missiles because they reportedly violate the INF Treaty, accusations that Moscow strongly rejected.

A month later, Russian president has sent a proposal to the US and several other NATO members suggesting a moratorium on deploying IRBMs and shorter-range missiles in Europe and other regions, underlying that the appearance of such weapons would significantly disrupt strategic stability, but the US has turned down the initiative.

Putin’s latest comments come in the wake of Russia’s fallout with NATO which has seen Moscow suspending its mission to NATO and closing the alliance’s office in Moscow, suggested that normal diplomatic relations with NATO are impossible amid the hostile measures it has taken against Russia.