Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Friday that Russia should begin producing short and medium-range missiles, previously banned under a now-defunct treaty with the United States.
“We must begin to produce these striking systems,” Putin decreed during a meeting with top security officials. He was referring specifically to missiles with a range between 500 and 5,500 kilometres, previously regulated by the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty between the United States and the then Soviet Union.
Under Donald Trump’s presidency, the United States announced its withdrawal from the INF treaty on 1 February 2019.
The treaty prohibited ballistic and cruise missiles with nuclear capabilities within the 500-5500-km range. Moscow followed suit a day later.
Both nations accused each other of treaty violations.
The bilateral agreement was signed in 1987, amid the Cold War, and resulted in the elimination of Russian SS20 ballistic and cruise missiles and US Pershing missiles deployed in Europe.
