Russian President Vladimir Putin has said his country needs to resume the production of short- and intermediate-range missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons, and then consider where to deploy them.
Speaking in an online meeting of Russia’s Security Council on Friday, Putin said Moscow needs to start producing the missiles and decide where to place them to ensure the country’s safety.
He explained the proposal was a countermeasure against the United States, which has brought these missiles to countries including Denmark for military drills.
The Institute for the Study of War says, “Putin is more likely using these exercises as a scapegoat for his broader reflective control campaign aimed at discouraging Western military assistance to Ukraine.”
The US think tank also says, “the Kremlin has invoked the fear of a nuclear confrontation between Russia and the West throughout its full-scale invasion to push the West to self-deter from providing Ukraine the weapons it needs to sustain its defense against Russian forces.”
Under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, the US and Russia agreed to not possess, produce or test-fire ground-based ballistic missiles and cruise missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometers.
The treaty expired in 2019. Moscow has said it would not produce or deploy the missiles unless Washington deploys them.