Vladimir Putin has issued a warning to the US, stating that if Washington stations long-range missiles in Germany from 2026, Russia will respond by deploying similar missiles within striking distance of Western targets.
Earlier this month, Washington and Germany announced plans for the US to begin deploying long-range fire capabilities in Germany by 2026. This move aims to demonstrate the US commitment to NATO and European defense.
According to Washington and Berlin, these initial “episodic deployments” will prepare for the longer-term stationing of capabilities, including SM-6 and Tomahawk cruise missiles as well as developmental hypersonic weapons with greater range than current assets in Europe.
In a speech on Sunday to sailors from Russia, China, Algeria, and India, during Russian Navy Day in St. Petersburg, Putin cautioned the US that such actions could lead to a Cold War-style missile crisis.
Putin stated, “The flight time of these missiles to targets on our territory, which could potentially be equipped with nuclear warheads in the future, would be approximately 10 minutes. We will respond with equivalent measures, considering the actions of the United States and its allies in Europe and other parts of the world.”
Putin also accused the US of escalating tensions by transferring Typhon missile systems to Denmark and the Philippines. He compared these plans to NATO’s decision to deploy Pershing II launchers in Western Europe in 1979.
Recalling the Cold War era, Putin noted that Soviet leaders, including General Secretary Yuri Andropov, believed the Pershing II deployments were part of a US-led strategy to incapacitate the Soviet Union by targeting its political and military leadership.
Putin remarked, “This situation mirrors the Cold War events surrounding the deployment of American medium-range Pershing missiles in Europe.”