In an interview with the Russian television channel "Russia-1," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov suggested that Russia might deploy nuclear missiles in response to actions by Western countries.
Moment May Come
This statement comes amidst increasing tensions between Russia and the United States over nuclear arms control, according to Tass.
Ryabkov's comments were in response to a question about the potential deployment of Russian nuclear missiles following similar actions by the West. He emphasized that any such decision would be based on a comprehensive assessment of various factors and would ultimately be made by the Russian military and President Vladimir Putin.
"I confirm: if the supreme commander-in-chief [of the Russian Armed Forces, Vladimir Putin], if our military say that special munitions are needed on such-and-such carriers, then so be it. But they must make this decision based on a set of factors. I admit that the moment may come when this is necessary," Ryabkov stated.
Reaction to US Missiles in Germany
This development follows an announcement from the White House on July 10, indicating that the United States plans to deploy new, longer-range strike systems in Germany starting in 2026. In response, Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov warned that these plans could increase the likelihood of a missile arms race and lead to uncontrolled escalation.
Furthermore, on July 28, during the main naval parade in St. Petersburg, President Putin warned that Moscow would cease to adhere to its unilateral moratorium on deploying medium and shorter-range strike systems if the U.S. stations long-range missiles in Germany. This statement was acknowledged by German government spokesperson Christiane Hoffmann, who noted that the German government had taken the Russian leader's warning into consideration.
