Expotera: Putin Threatens US Soil If Missiles Deployed In Europe

Friday, February 22, 2019

Putin Threatens US Soil If Missiles Deployed In Europe

Putin Threatens US Soil If Missiles Deployed In Europe

By teleSUR
February 22, 2019

Russian President Vladimir Putin, during his annual presidential
address to the legislature Wednesday, criticized the United States
for ignoring the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty
by deploying missile launchers in Romania and Poland.

"First it started developing and using intermediate-range missiles
it deceitfully called targets for missile defenses. Then it began
to deploy the Mk-41 launchers in Europe, capable of using
intermediate range cruise missiles Tomahawk for combat purposes,"
he said.

"By doing all this the United States blatantly ignored the provisions
contained in articles 4 and 6 of the INF Treaty."

Russia will respond to any U.S. deployment of short or
intermediate-range nuclear weapons in Europe by targeting not
only the countries where they are stationed but the United States
itself, Putin warned.

He also said that the U.S. should calculate the flight range and
velocity of Russian weapons before taking steps that can pose a
threat to Russia.

"This is certainly their right to think this way. But can they make
the calculations? Undoubtedly they can," Putin said. "So let them
calculate the range and speed of our advanced weapon systems."

"This is the only thing we ask to do — make the calculations first
before passing decisions that may pose additional serious threats
to our country and will certainly entail Russia’s counter-measures,"
Putin said.

However, the president said that Russia was not seeking
confrontation and would not take the first step to deploy
missiles in response to Washington’s decision this month
to quit a landmark Cold War-era arms control treaty.

"We are not interested in confrontation and do not want it,
moreover with such a global power as the United States," he
said. "However, it seems that our partners take no notice how
rapidly the world is changing and where it is heading. They
carry on with their destructive and obviously erroneous policy."

But in case of a threat, “Russia will be forced to create and deploy
types of weapons which can be used not only in respect of those
territories from which the direct threat to us originates but also in
respect of those territories where the centers of decision-making
are located,” the president said.

Alleging Russian violations, Washington said this month it was
suspending its obligations under the 1987 Intermediate-range
Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) and starting the process of quitting
it, untying their hands to develop new missiles.

The pact banned either side from stationing short and
intermediate-range, land-based missiles in Europe and
its demise raises the prospect of a new arms race between
Washington and Moscow.