Russia has announced that it is no longer bound by a moratorium on the deployment of short- and medium-range missiles, citing the developing situation in Europe and the Asia Pacific as the reason for its decision. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that the conditions for maintaining a unilateral moratorium on the deployment of similar weapons have disappeared, given the actual deployment of US-made land-based medium- and short-range missiles in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s former President and current Security Council deputy chairman, blamed NATO’s “anti-Russian policy” for the decision and warned that Moscow will take “further steps” in response. “This is a new reality all our opponents will have to reckon with. Expect further steps,” Medvedev posted in English on the X social media platform. Medvedev did not elaborate on what “further steps” may entail, but his statement suggests that Russia is prepared to take additional measures to counter what it perceives as a growing threat from NATO.
The decision comes amid escalating tensions between Russia and the US, with both countries engaging in a war of words. Last week, US President Donald Trump said that he had ordered two US nuclear submarines to be repositioned to “the appropriate regions” in response to Medvedev’s remarks about the risk of war between Washington and Moscow. In response, the Kremlin played down Trump’s comments, saying that it was not looking to get into a public spat with the US president. “In this case, it is obvious that American submarines are already on combat duty. This is an ongoing process, that’s the first thing,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
The implications of Russia’s decision to withdraw from the missile deployment moratorium are significant. The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, signed in 1987 by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and US President Ronald Reagan, had eliminated an entire class of weapons: ground-launched nuclear missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500km (311 to 3,418 miles). Russia’s decision to deploy such missiles could lead to a new era of nuclear proliferation and increase the risk of conflict in Europe and beyond.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had previously warned that Moscow’s unilateral moratorium on the deployment of such missiles was “practically no longer viable and will have to be abandoned”. “The United States arrogantly ignored warnings from Russia and China and, in practice, moved on to deploying weapons of this class in various regions of the world,” Lavrov said. The US withdrew from the INF treaty in 2019, citing Russian non-compliance, and Moscow’s decision to deploy short- and medium-range missiles is seen as a response to this move.
The decision has sparked concern globally, with many calling for calm and restraint. The situation highlights the ongoing tensions between Russia and the West, particularly over the conflict in Ukraine. Trump has given Putin an ultimatum to reach a deal on Ukraine, and the Russian president has signaled no shift in his position despite the looming deadline. The situation remains volatile, and further escalation could have significant consequences for global security.