Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday warned the United States that if it deploys new missiles in Europe he will retaliate quickly not only by targeting where the rockets are located but also the US itself.
“Russia will be forced to create and deploy types of weapons which can be used not only in respect of those territories from which the direct threat to us originates, but also in respect of those territories where the centers of decision-making are located,” Putin said to cheers during his annual state-of-the-nation address.
Upping the ante for a potential arms race, Putin blamed the US for withdrawing from a Cold War-era arms control pact governing short- and intermediate-range nuclear weapons in Europe and said Russia would have to field weapons to counter the US arsenal.
“They will only take 10-12 minutes to reach Moscow,” he said. “It’s a very serious threat to us, and we will have to respond.”
He didn’t detail what new weapons Russian would deploy, but said they would swiftly reach enemy outposts.
“It’s their right to think how they want. But can they count? I’m sure they can. Let them count the speed and the range of the weapons systems we are developing,” the Russian leader said.
The US announced earlier this month that it was pulling out of the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty because Russia had been violating it by deploying a cruise missile.
The pact, signed by President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, banned the production, testing and deployment of land-based cruise and ballistic missiles with a range of 310 to 3,410 miles.
Putin denied that Moscow breached the agreement.
“Our American partners should have honestly said it instead of making unfounded accusations against Russia to justify their withdrawal from the treaty,” he said.
He said Moscow would not initiate a confrontation, but would continue to develop weapons systems to ensure it would be able to respond to provocations by the US.
“We know how to do this and we will implement these plans immediately, as soon as the corresponding threats to us become a reality,” he said.
With Post wires