In a major escalation of global nuclear tensions, Russia has announced it will no longer adhere to self-imposed restrictions on the deployment of intermediate- and shorter-range missiles.
The decision follows what Moscow claims is the “de facto deployment” of U.S.-made missile systems near Russian borders and across the Asia-Pacific, moves that Moscow says violate the spirit of the defunct INF Treaty.
Moscow’s official statement and comments supportive of former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev come in the wake of President Donald Trump’s announcement Friday that he’d ordered two nuclear armed submarines to take up positions closer to Russia.
In a statement released Sunday, the Russian Foreign Ministry declared that the conditions justifying Moscow’s unilateral moratorium “no longer exist,” citing a broad buildup of Western missile capabilities that pose what it calls “a direct, strategic threat to the security of our country.”
“This is a new reality that all our opponents will have to reckon with,” said Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, in a post on the social media platform X.
He described the move as a “result of NATO countries’ anti-Russian policy” and warned that further steps would follow.
The Kremlin’s shift comes just a week after Trump ordered the forward movement of two U.S. nuclear-capable missile units into allied territory in Eastern Europe, in what Washington described as a “strategic deterrence adjustment.”
While U.S. officials have not officially confirmed the missile types or precise locations, several reports indicate that the repositioning includes systems with capabilities falling under the 500–5,500 km range once banned under the now-defunct INF Treaty.
Signed in 1987 between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty prohibited ground-based missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,500 kilometers.
The U.S. withdrew from the treaty in 2019, citing repeated Russian violations — claims Moscow has denied.
Since then, Russia has maintained a unilateral moratorium, contingent upon Washington and its allies refraining from deploying such systems.
That posture has now officially ended.
In its lengthy Monday statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry accused the United States and NATO of staging provocative missile deployments under the cover of military exercises.
The Ministry cited the transfer of mobile MK70 launchers to Denmark for use in NATO drills and the delivery of the Typhon missile system to the Philippines and Australia in recent months.
In perhaps the most alarming example, Moscow pointed to the U.S. Army’s deployment of the Dark Eagle hypersonic missile system during the July Talisman Sabre military exercises in Australia.
The Foreign Ministry also highlighted the firing of U.S.-made Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM) from the Republic of Palau and their integration into HIMARS and M270 platforms — systems now present in Ukraine, Germany, and several Asia-Pacific allies.
“These U.S. and allied actions, taken together, result in the buildup of destabilizing missile potentials in regions adjacent to Russia,” the ministry said.
“This development has serious negative implications for regional and global stability, and dangerously escalates tensions between nuclear powers.”
In a stark warning, the Ministry said that “decisions on the specific parameters of response measures will be made by Russia’s leadership” following an interagency analysis.
Though no details have yet emerged on where and when Russian missiles might be deployed, analysts expect movement in Kaliningrad, the Black Sea region, and potentially within Russian bases abroad.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reaffirmed earlier warnings that Russia would act if NATO crossed red lines, telling TASS that “Russia reserves the right to deploy intermediate- and shorter-range missiles near its borders in response to growing provocations.”
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov added in an interview with RIA Novosti that the end of the moratorium was “a logical and inevitable step,” accusing Western capitals of failing to appreciate Moscow’s restraint.
In its final statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry lamented that its earlier calls for a reciprocal moratorium were rejected and “replaced with concrete actions aimed at achieving permanent U.S. missile presence near Russia.”
The Ministry also emphasized that “serial production” of U.S. systems previously banned by the INF is already underway.
Russia-U.S. tensions have been ramping up for months, with one major reason being Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s refusal to be pinned down on talks concerning peace or a truce. Through the conflict, the U.S. has led the charge in imposing sever sanctions on Russia, targeting its economy, key individuals and important sectors such as energy.
Russia has also drawn U.S. fire over cyberattacks and information warfare, as well as allegations of Russian interference in American elections.
Meanwhile, Russia has continued to assert itself on the world stage, supporting authoritarian regimes and influence operations in countries like Syria, Venezuela and Belarus. This has put it at odds with the U.S. and its allies.
One other factor has to do with NATO. Since the Soviet Union’s collapse, NATO has expanded eastward, incorporating former Eastern Bloc countries and Soviet republics. Russia sees this as a betrayal of earlier promises made by Western leaders, not to mention a threat to its strategic security.
Via Newsmax