Russia threatens to deploy nuclear missiles after Trump moves submarines
Russia has suggested it could once again deploy short and intermediate-range nuclear missiles as tensions between the Kremlin and the United States continue to mount.
Speaking on Monday, a senior Kremlin official said Russia no longer considers itself bound by its own freeze on the nuclear missiles.
It comes just days after Donald Trump announced the US would be moving two of its nuclear submarines closer to Russia following comments made by former president Dmitry Medvedev.
Taking to social media for the first time since Trump moved the nuclear submarines, Medvedev, who is now a senior security official, said Russia’s decision “is the result of Nato countries’ anti-Russian policy".
“This is a new reality all our opponents will have to reckon with. Expect further steps.”
Russia follows the US in removing self-imposed restrictions on short and intermediate-range nuclear missiles, with Donald Trump killing the landmark Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty in 2019.
The Kremlin has maintained it would not deploy missiles until now, accusing the US of breaching long-standing agreements by moving Tomahawk cruise missiles to the Philippines.
“Since the situation is developing towards the actual deployment of US-made land-based medium and short-range missiles in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region … the conditions for maintaining a unilateral moratorium on the deployment of similar weapons have disappeared,” the Russian foreign ministry said.
Last week, a war of words erupted between Medvedev and Donald Trump, leading the US president to move two nuclear submarines closer to Russia.
Medvedev, who is now deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, told the president to remember the Kremlin had Soviet-era nuclear strike capabilities of last resort on Thursday.
On Friday, Trump wrote on social media: "Based on the highly provocative statements of the Former President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, who is now the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, I have ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that.
"Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
