Putin warns US of Cold War-style missile crisis

Moscow: – Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the United States on Sunday that if Washington were to deploy long-range missiles in Germany from 2026, Russia would place similar missiles within striking distance of the West.

The United States will deploy long-range weapons in Germany in 2026 to demonstrate its commitment to NATO and European defense, the United States and Germany said earlier this month.

The US’s “episodic deployment” is a preparation for the longer-term deployment of such capabilities, including the SM-6, Tomahawk cruise missiles and hypersonic weapons in development, which have a greater range than current capabilities in Europe, Washington and Berlin said.

In an address to sailors from Russia, China, Algeria and India on the occasion of Russian Navy Day in the former imperial capital of St. Petersburg, Putin warned the United States that the move risked provoking a missile crisis on a par with the Cold War.

“The flight time of such missiles, which in the future may be equipped with nuclear warheads, to targets on our territory will be about 10 minutes,” Putin said.

“We will take mirror measures in our deployment, taking into account the actions of the United States, its satellites in Europe and in other regions of the world.”

Putin said the United States was stoking tensions by transferring Typhon missile systems to Denmark and the Philippines. He compared the US plans to NATO’s decision to deploy Pershing II launchers in Western Europe in 1979.

The Soviet leadership, including General Secretary Yuri Andropov, feared that the deployment of the Pershing II was part of a broader American plan to decapitate the Soviet Union by eliminating its political and military leaders.

“This situation is reminiscent of the Cold War events regarding the deployment of the American medium-range Pershing missiles in Europe,” Putin said.

Putin reiterated an earlier warning that Russia could resume production of medium- and short-range nuclear missiles and then consider where to deploy them after the United States deploys similar missiles to Europe and Asia.