Russia’s deputy foreign minister said on Thursday that Russia is considering new deployments of nuclear missiles in response to a U.S. plan to station long-range conventional weapons in Germany.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, quoted by the Interfax news agency, said that a specific area of attention was the defense of Russia’s Kaliningrad region, which is wedged between Poland and Lithuania, two NATO and EU members .
“I am not ruling out any options,” Ryabkov told reporters in Moscow when asked about the U.S. deployment plans.
The United States announced last week plans to start deploying weapons, including SM-6, Tomahawk, and new hypersonic missiles, in Germany starting in 2026 as a demonstration of its commitment to NATO and European defense.
In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated last month that Moscow would restart the production of short and intermediate-range land-based missiles and determine their placement as needed.
Most of Russia's missile systems are capable of carrying either conventional or nuclear warheads.
Ryabkov indicated that Russia would explore a broad range of options to determine the most effective and cost-efficient response to the U.S. move.
“Kaliningrad is no exception in terms of our 100% determination to do everything necessary to push back those who may harbor aggressive plans and who try to provoke us to take certain steps that are undesirable for anyone and are fraught with further complications," said Ryabkov.
The intermediate-range ground-based missiles that Russia and the U.S. are considering deploying were banned under a 1987 U.S.-Soviet treaty, which the U.S. exited in 2019, citing Russian violations that Moscow denied.
Deploying Russian nuclear missiles to Kaliningrad would send a strong signal to the West due to its close proximity to NATO countries.
However, Andrey Baklitskiy, an arms control expert with the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research, suggested that such a deployment would likely be more symbolic than strategic, given the constant NATO surveillance in the area.
In a recent interview, Baklitskiy also mentioned that Russia might deploy missiles in the Moscow or Leningrad regions or in Chukotka in the far east, from where they could target Alaska or even California.
“I am not ruling out any options,” Ryabkov told reporters in Moscow when asked about the U.S. deployment plans.
The United States announced last week plans to start deploying weapons, including SM-6, Tomahawk, and new hypersonic missiles, in Germany starting in 2026 as a demonstration of its commitment to NATO and European defense.
In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated last month that Moscow would restart the production of short and intermediate-range land-based missiles and determine their placement as needed.
Most of Russia's missile systems are capable of carrying either conventional or nuclear warheads.
Ryabkov indicated that Russia would explore a broad range of options to determine the most effective and cost-efficient response to the U.S. move.
Thorn in NATO’s side
“Kaliningrad is no exception in terms of our 100% determination to do everything necessary to push back those who may harbor aggressive plans and who try to provoke us to take certain steps that are undesirable for anyone and are fraught with further complications," said Ryabkov.
The intermediate-range ground-based missiles that Russia and the U.S. are considering deploying were banned under a 1987 U.S.-Soviet treaty, which the U.S. exited in 2019, citing Russian violations that Moscow denied.
Deploying Russian nuclear missiles to Kaliningrad would send a strong signal to the West due to its close proximity to NATO countries.
However, Andrey Baklitskiy, an arms control expert with the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research, suggested that such a deployment would likely be more symbolic than strategic, given the constant NATO surveillance in the area.
In a recent interview, Baklitskiy also mentioned that Russia might deploy missiles in the Moscow or Leningrad regions or in Chukotka in the far east, from where they could target Alaska or even California.
Source: TVP World, Reuters
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