Putin warns US over missile deployment in Germany

Vladimir Putin threatens again. He warned the United States that if Washington deploys long-range missiles in Germany, Russia will deploy similar missiles at a distance needed to strike Western countries.

Almost two weeks earlier, on the sidelines of the NATO summit, the White House and the German government announced that the United States would begin deploying long-range missiles in Germany in 2026, including hypersonic missiles, SM-6 missiles, and Tomahawks. According to Washington, this is to demonstrate the US commitment to NATO and its contribution to European "integrated deterrence."

Now Putin has responded with threats towards the West.

He warned the United States that they risk triggering a missile crisis. "The flight time to targets on our territory of such missiles, which in the future may be equipped with nuclear warheads, will be about 10 minutes," Putin said during a speech to sailors from Russia, China, Algeria, and India on the occasion of Russian Navy Day celebrations in St. Petersburg.

"We will take mirror measures to deploy, taking into account the actions of the United States, its satellites in Europe and in other regions of the world," he noted.

Vladimir Putin said that "the United States is fueling tension." He compared the US actions to NATO's decision to deploy Pershing II missile launchers in Western Europe in 1979.

He also noted that Russia can resume the production of medium- and shorter-range missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads and then consider where to deploy them.