Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the United States on Sunday that the deployment of long-range missiles in Germany from 2026 would force Russia to place similar weapons within striking distance of the West.
Under plans outlined earlier this month, the United States is expected to begin deploying long-range firepower capabilities in Germany by 2026 in an effort to demonstrate its commitment to NATO’s mission and European defense. According to Washington and Berlin, the U.S. deployments and deployments are part of a preparation for a long-term plan that includes SM-6 (multi-mission missile with defense and strike capabilities), Tomahawk cruise missiles and hypersonic weapons under development that have a greater range than current capabilities in Europe, according to sources in Washington and Berlin.
In a speech to the navies of Russia, China, Algeria and India to mark Russian Navy Day in the former imperial capital of St. Petersburg, Putin warned the United States that it risked triggering a Cold War-style missile crisis. “The range to targets on our territory of such missiles, which in the future may be equipped with nuclear warheads, will be about 10 minutes,” he said.
The Kremlin leader accused the United States of stoking tensions by transferring Typhon missile systems to Denmark and the Philippines, and compared the US plans to NATO’s decision to deploy Pershing II launchers in Western Europe in 1979. “This situation is reminiscent of the Cold War events related to the deployment of American Pershing medium-range missiles in Europe,” Putin said.
Source: www.jornaldenegocios.pt
