On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia should follow the US in developing missile systems that were previously banned under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which the US withdrew from in 2019.
The INF prohibited land-based missile systems with a range between 310 and 3,400 miles. After leaving the treaty, the US immediately began developing and testing batteries that could fire nuclear-capable Tomahawk missiles, which have a range of about 1,000 miles and are primarily used by US Navy ships and submarines.
“We need to start production of these strike systems and then, based on the actual situation, make decisions about where β if necessary to ensure our safety β to place them,” Putin said on Friday, according to The Associated Press.
The US recently deployed one of its new, previously banned missile systems for exercises in the Philippines. The missile system, known as the Typhon launcher, is concealed in a 40-foot shipping container and can fire Tomahawks and SM-6 missiles, which can hit targets up to 290 miles away, below the levels previously banned by the INF. The US has also previously deployed the Tyhpon system and the US Navy’s variant for exercises in Denmark.
“Today it is known that the United States not only produces these missile systems, but has already brought them to Europe for exercises, to Denmark. Quite recently it was announced that they are in the Philippines,” Putin said.
When the US withdrew from the INF treaty, it claimed Russia was violating the agreement byΒ developing the ground-launched 9M729 cruise missile.Β Russian officials denied the missile was a violation, saying it had a maximum range of 298 miles.
Russia also accused the US of potentially violating the INF by establishing Aegis Ashore missile defense systems in Romania and Poland. The systems use Mk-41 vertical launchers, which can fit Tomahawk missiles.
The US refused to negotiate with Russia on either issue, and the Trump administration tore up the treaty. Since it was clear the real reason the US exited the treaty was so it could deploy intermediate-range missiles near China, Russia proposed a moratorium on the deployment of INF missiles in Europe. But the US never accepted the offer.
John Bolton was finally proven right. The Russians will definitely "cheat" and produce the "banned missile," especially after being provoked, after we cheated, and we cancelled the agreement altogether.
The incorrigable warfare state.
When Trump arbitrarily withdrew from the INF treaty, he created an existential threat to Russia. He didn't realize it, of course, but the hubris of withdrawing from the INF treaty ππππ created an existential threat to any country that launches a missile πππππππππ of carrying a nuclear warhead.
No president should be allowed to cancel a treaty that was approved by the Senate without first getting Senate approval to do so.
Gave you an upvote, though I do not support the notion that "he created an existential threat to Russia" or the "withdrawing from the INF treaty ππππ created an existential threat to any country that launches a missile πππππππππ of carrying a nuclear warhead."
The Russians are not that vulnerable – and not that easy to provoke into nuclear war. So one missile is very unlikely to start nuclear war – a lot of missiles sure, but not one.
But it was one very stupid move and I heartedly concur with the notion: "No president should be allowed to cancel a treaty that was approved by the Senate without first getting Senate approval to do so."
"make decisions about where β if necessary to ensure our safety β to place them,β Putin said…
As I've said since April, 2022, that includes on the Ukraine border with Poland and Romania. Mostly, though, what Russia needs there is air defenses to counter the Aegis Ashore systems located in those countries. I've pointed out that this is the actual purpose of the SMO.
You don't try to intercept missiles in terminal phase over your capital city, you want to catch them in boost phase near their launch point. To do that, you need air defenses as close to the source of the missiles as possible.
The Agis (ashore or otherwise) is not a first strike system and not a system for which the Russians need to move forward to protect Moscow or themselves from a nuclear strike.
The missiles in the Agis system have a range of up to 370 Km and a warhead of up to 64 kilograms – so it can only launch a very very small nuke if nuclear armed at all.
It is an anti missile system not a first strike weapon – you could use it as a first strike weapon it would only serve to warn or annoy the enemy.
Not banned anymore, they are free to build them. That is the thing about agreements, once we scrap them we can't expect the agreement to remain in place. That would be stupid.