Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested that it could be time for Russia to build and deploy intermediate-range missiles. “Today, we will review the steps the Russian Federation should take regarding the unilateral moratorium on the deployment of ground-based intermediate- and shorter-range missiles,” he said during a June 28 meeting of the Russian Security Council. He noted that in 2019 the U.S. pulled out of the Intermediate- Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which banned the production and deployment of missiles with a range of 500 to 5,000 km, and that in response, Russia would not build such missiles unless the U.S. deployed them anywhere in the world.
“We now know that the United States is not only producing these missile systems, but has brought them to Europe, Denmark, to use in exercises,” Putin said. “Not long ago, it was reported that they are in the Philippines. It is unclear whether they have taken these missiles out from the Philippines or not.”
