US Condemns ‘Irresponsible Rhetoric’ Following Putin’s Suggestion of a New Arms Race in Europe
Moscow has pledged to retaliate against the planned deployment of US missile systems to Germany with reciprocal actions and innovative ‘strike systems.’
Washington has criticized Moscow’s “irresponsible” warnings that Russian forces would respond in kind to the planned deployment of long-range U.S. missile systems to Germany.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced this week that Moscow would deploy new “strike systems”—presumably targeting Western interests—in response to the planned U.S. missile deployments, scheduled to start in 2026.
A State Department spokesperson dismissed the Russian leader’s statements as “more irresponsible rhetoric” from Moscow.
“The Kremlin’s aggression in Ukraine poses the most significant and direct threat to Europe’s security and peace in the Euro-Atlantic region,” the spokesperson told The Epoch Times.
In February 2022, Russia invaded and effectively annexed large parts of eastern and southern Ukraine.
Most Western capitals view Russia’s invasion, now in its third year, as an illegal and unprovoked land seizure.
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Kyiv, supported by its Western allies, has vowed to resist Russian forces—despite being outnumbered—until all lost territory is reclaimed.
Moscow asserts that its “special military operation” aims to protect Russian speakers in the Donbas region and prevent NATO’s eastward expansion.
Putin has justified the invasion by stating that NATO has moved closer to Russia’s borders since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, despite previous promises not to do so.
Last year, Finland, which shares an 810-mile border with Russia, joined NATO as its 31st member. Sweden followed suit in March this year.
In April, a Kremlin spokesman reiterated claims that the Western alliance is encroaching on Russia’s borders and expanding its military presence.
However, Western officials reject this assertion, maintaining that NATO is a defensive alliance open to all democratic nations.
“The United States and NATO do not seek a military confrontation with Russia,” the State Department spokesperson told The Epoch Times, emphasizing NATO’s defensive nature.
“But any military action against a NATO ally would trigger a strong response.”
‘Tit-for-Tat’ Escalation
On July 10, Washington and Berlin announced that the United States would begin “episodic deployments” of long-range missile systems to Germany in 2026.
The deployments will include SM-6, Tomahawk, and developmental hypersonic missiles with a significantly longer range than current U.S. missiles in Europe, according to the statement.
The United States has not openly deployed such powerful missile systems in Europe since the Cold War era, when the U.S.-led West faced off against the Soviet Union.
A spokesperson for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz described the planned U.S. missile deployments as a necessary measure to deter Russia.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov labeled the move an intimidation tactic by NATO and the United States, stating that Moscow is considering a military response.
Moscow’s envoy to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, accused the United States of disregarding the dangerous repercussions of leaving the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.
Signed in 1987 by Washington and Moscow, the INF Treaty prohibited ground-based missiles with ranges exceeding 500 kilometers (approximately 310 miles).
In 2019, the United States unilaterally withdrew from the treaty, alleging Russian violations—a claim Moscow denies.
Last month, Putin threatened to resume production of Russian medium-range missiles previously banned under the INF Treaty.
According to Moscow, the United States is currently producing its own medium-range missiles and has deployed them in Europe and Southeast Asia.
On July 28, Putin announced that Russia would end its moratorium on deploying medium-range missiles if the United States proceeded with its planned missile deployments to Germany.
He warned that U.S. missiles from Germany, potentially carrying nuclear warheads, could reach targets within Russia in less than 10 minutes.
“We will take reciprocal measures to their deployment, considering the actions of the United States and its allies,” the Russian leader stated, referencing Washington’s NATO partners.
In response to The Epoch Times’ inquiry about Putin’s comments, the U.S. Defense Department said, “We have nothing to disclose at this time.”
The State Department spokesperson was more forthcoming, stating, “The Kremlin initiated this conflict [in Ukraine], and Putin has the power to end it today.”
