"We will take reciprocal measures against their deployment, taking into account the actions of the United States, its allies in Europe, and other regions of the world," said dictator Putin.
If the United States deploys long-range missiles in Germany, important Russian government and military facilities, administrative and industrial centers, and defense infrastructure will be within their range, Putin said. The time to reach these targets for the missiles would be about ten minutes, he claimed.
Putin noted that if the United States proceeds with plans to deploy long-range missiles, Russia will consider itself free from its previously assumed "unilateral moratorium" on the deployment of medium- and shorter-range strike capabilities, including enhancing the capabilities of the Russian Navy's coastal forces.
By "unilateral moratorium," Putin was referring to the 1987 US-USSR treaty, in which both parties pledged to destroy all ground-launched ballistic and cruise missile systems of medium (1,000-5,500 km) and shorter (500-1,000 km) range, and not to produce, test, or deploy such missiles in the future. The treaty was terminated in 2019 after mutual accusations of violations.
Plans to deploy long-range U.S. missiles in Germany
The White House press service announced on July 10 that in 2026, the United States will begin deploying long-range strike systems, including hypersonic weapons, to Germany.
The statement said that the United States would begin sporadic deployments of long-range firepower to its task force in Germany in 2026. This will be done as part of the planning for the long-term deployment of these assets in the future.
This will include the SM-6, Tomahawk, and a hypersonic weapon under development that has a much longer range than current ground-based weapons in Europe.
Der Spiegel reported that Washington and Berlin have been holding confidential talks over the past few months about the deployment of long-range American weapons in Germany. The cruise missiles can hit a target at a distance of up to 2,500 kilometers, potentially allowing NATO to hit "virtually any target in Russia."
The magazine notes that the United States withdrew all long-range weapons from Germany in the late 1990s. During the negotiations in recent months, Berlin has "fiercely advocated" for the weapons to be deployed in Germany rather than elsewhere.