Putin, on his speech on the occasion of Navy Day, broadcast Sunday on Perviy Kanal, compared the current situation with the deployment of U.S. Pershing missiles in Europe during the Cold War and noted that such weapons on German soil would be within a 10-minute flight of key Russian targets. They would have within reach important military governance and control facilities, our administrative and industrial centers, as well as defense infrastructure, Putin said

The Russian leader added that “if the United States gets to implement such plans, Russia will feel free from the unilateral moratorium it declared earlier on the deployment of short and medium-range strike weapons, particularly to increase the capabilities of coastal units of the national Navy.”

Putin stated that the development of several short and medium-range missile systems in Russia is in the final stage. We will conduct symmetrical deployments when taking into account U.S. actions and its satellites in Europe and other regions, he warned.

On July 10, it was announced that the United States will proceed with the deployment of long-range firepower in Germany in 2026 for an enduring presence. That arsenal will include SM-6 missiles, Tomahawk and hypersonic weapons, which have a significantly longer range than missiles currently stationed in Europe, according to a joint statement issued by the governments of the two countries.

According to the pledge, Washington seeks to show in this way its commitment to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and its contribution to integrated deterrence in Europe.

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