Russian President Vladimir Putin, addressing the final Defense Ministry forum of the year this morning, called on the Russian military to be able to “react swiftly” to the deployment of NATO missiles near Russia’s borders. There are no land-based intermediate- or medium-range cruise or ballistic missiles on NATO territory yet, but ships and aircraft capable of carrying missiles of such range have been frequently detected operating well within the range of Russia. Moscow has repeatedly warned that such incidents pose the risk of accidental escalation, reported Sputnik.
Putin observed the “incessant” character of NATO military activities, lamenting that the United States, in particular, has abandoned several international treaties, degrading the global arms- control systems. “We are not going to produce and deploy mid- and short-range missiles in the European part of Russia or in any other regions of the country. But we have to be ready to react swiftly if Western countries place weapons of that kind near our borders,” Putin said.