“The United States’ plans, should they be implemented, will inevitably unleash a powerful multinational arms race with all the consequences that do not bode well for global stability,” the diplomat said in an interview with Sputnik news agency.

“For our part, we will have to respond to new threats to our security and take all relevant measures to ensure it, particularly in the field of nuclear deterrence if necessary,” Mashkov said.

The ambassador stated that critically important facilities in Russia, including command centers and bases of the nuclear forces, would be within the range of US missiles.

Russia has repeatedly stated that it will not feel bound by the unilateral moratorium on the deployment of medium- and short-range missiles if the United States deploys its missiles in various regions of the world, primarily in Europe and the Asia-Pacific, Mashkov recalled.

Regarding the prospects for strategic stability, Mashkov assumed that the missile component will increase, closely linked to new technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, hypersonic rocket engines, and maneuverable gliding warheads, among others.

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