Watch: Putin Calls for Production of Previously Banned Nuclear Missiles

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Friday that Russia should begin producing short and intermediate-range nuclear missiles, previously prohibited under the now-defunct Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with the United States.

These missiles, with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometers, were banned under the Cold War-era treaty signed by Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan in 1987, marking the first time the superpowers had agreed to reduce their nuclear arsenals and eliminated a whole category of nuclear weapons.

The United States, under former President Donald Trump, formally withdrew from the INF Treaty in 2019, citing alleged violations by Moscow, which the Kremlin (official website of the President of the Russian Federation) denied. At the time, Russia stated it would adhere to a moratorium on missile production if the US did not deploy missiles near Russian territory.

Putin has accused the US of resuming missile production and deploying them in various locations, including Denmark for the exercises and the Philippines, where Russia has pledge not to deploy such missiles prompting Russia to reconsider its stance. “We need to respond to this and make decisions about what we will have to do in this direction next,” Putin stated.

Putin said, “Apparently, we need to start manufacturing these strike systems and then, based on the actual situation, make decisions about where – if necessary to ensure our safety – to place them.”

Putin indicated that Russia might need to start manufacturing these missiles and decide on their deployment based on security needs. This move follows Russia’s suspension of its participation in the New START treaty last year, the last nuclear arms pact with the US. Additionally, the US has supplied shorter-range missiles to Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict, partially lifting a ban on their use against Russian targets, which has heightened tensions.