According to Russia's Sputnik, during his State of the Nation Address, the Russian president specifically touched upon the possible deployment of US missiles in Europe.
He warned that if Washington deploys its medium-and short-range missiles in Europe, it will “dramatically exacerbate international security situation" and create serious challenges to Russia, Sputnik added.
He recalled that some classes missiles of US missiles have a flight time to Moscow of just around 10-12 minutes.
"This is a very serious threat to us. In this case, we will be forced — I want to emphasise this – forced to take tit-for-tat steps," Putin underscored.
Separately, Reuters reported that Putin had warned that Russia will respond to any US 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 said 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.
But he said that Russia’s reaction to any deployment would be resolute and that US policy-makers, some of whom he said were obsessed with US exceptionalism, should calculate the risks before taking any steps.
KI/PR
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