Russia announced Monday it is abandoning its self-imposed ban on deploying nuclear-capable intermediate-range missiles, raising the specter of a renewed arms race as tensions with the United States escalate over Ukraine.
In a sharply worded statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry cited U.S. and allied efforts to develop and position such missiles – including plans to station Typhoon and Dark Eagle systems in Germany next year – as the trigger for its decision.
Moscow warned the deployments pose a "direct threat” to its national security and fuel a "dangerous escalation of tensions between nuclear powers,” undermining both regional and global stability.
While the Kremlin has not detailed its next steps, President Vladimir Putin previously indicated Russia would deploy its new Oreshnik missiles in Belarus, a close ally, later this year.
Asked where and when Russia could potentially deploy intermediate-range weapons, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it is not something to be announced in advance.
"Russia no longer has any limitations. Russia no longer considers itself to be constrained by anything,” Peskov told reporters. "Therefore, Russia believes it has the right to take respective steps if necessary.”
"Decisions on specific parameters of response measures will be made by the leadership of the Russian Federation based on an interdepartmental analysis of the scale of deployment of American and other Western land-based intermediate-range missiles, as well as the development of the overall situation in the area of international security and strategic stability,” the Foreign Ministry said.
The Russian statement follows President Donald Trump’s announcement Friday that he is ordering the repositioning of two U.S. nuclear submarines "based on the highly provocative statements” of Dmitry Medvedev, who served as president from 2008 to 2012 to allow Putin, bound by term limits, to later return to office.
Trump’s statement came as his deadline for the Kremlin to reach a peace deal in Ukraine approaches later this week.
Trump said he was alarmed by Medvedev’s rhetoric. Medvedev, who serves as deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, which is chaired by Putin, has frequently sought to curry favor with his mentor by issuing provocative remarks and making nuclear threats.
Last week, he responded to Trump’s peace deadline – which warned of new sanctions – by saying the U.S. president was "playing the ultimatum game with Russia,” and warned that "each new ultimatum is a threat and a step toward war.”
Medvedev also commented on the Foreign Ministry’s statement, describing Moscow’s withdrawal from the moratorium as "the result of NATO countries’ anti-Russian policy.”
"This is a new reality all our opponents will have to reckon with,” he wrote on X. "Expect further steps.”
Intermediate-range missiles can fly between 500 and 5,500 kilometers (310 to 3,400 miles). Such land-based weapons were banned under the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. Washington and Moscow abandoned the pact in 2019, accusing each other of violations. However, Moscow declared a unilateral moratorium on deployment unless the U.S. made a similar move.
The collapse of the INF Treaty has revived fears of a Cold War-style missile crisis in Europe, reminiscent of the 1980s, when both the U.S. and the Soviet Union deployed such weapons across the continent. These missiles are seen as particularly destabilizing because they reduce decision time for leaders and increase the risk of a nuclear conflict triggered by a false alarm.
Russia’s missile forces chief has said the new Oreshnik intermediate-range missile – first used against Ukraine in November – can reach all of Europe. The missile is capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads.
Putin has praised the Oreshnik’s capabilities, saying its multiple warheads can reach targets at speeds up to Mach 10, making them nearly impossible to intercept. He added that a conventional strike using several Oreshniks could be as devastating as a nuclear attack.
The Russian leader has also warned that Moscow could target NATO members aiding Ukraine if they allow Kyiv to strike inside Russia using longer-range Western weapons.