“Analyze the level of threat”: Putin instructed to prepare an answer in connection with US missile tests

Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a meeting with permanent members of the Security Council, instructed the Ministries of Defense and Foreign Affairs to analyze the level of threat and take symmetrical measures in response to US tests of a non-nuclear ground-based cruise missile, which had previously been banned by the INF Treaty.

The head of state also indicated that the MK-41 universal launcher was used in the tests, similar to those already deployed on the missile defense base in Romania.

“We have repeatedly pointed out that the deployment by Americans of such launchers on land, on the basis of missile defense in Romania, and their forthcoming deployment in Poland are a direct and substantial, gross violation of the INF Treaty. The Americans stubbornly rejected this, arguing that the ground-based MK-41 was supposedly unable to launch Tomahawk sea-based cruise missiles. Now the fact of violation is evident, it is impossible to dispute it - they themselves spoke about it, ”Putin said.

He also indicated that the tests took place only 16 days after the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles was officially terminated at the initiative of the United States.

“Instead of correcting this unacceptable situation and returning to compliance with the Treaty, the Americans organized a propaganda campaign about Russia's allegedly non-compliance with the provisions of this Treaty. As it is now obvious to everyone, its sole purpose was to cover up the work carried out by Washington in violation of the Treaty and its initial intention to withdraw from it, ”the President of the Russian Federation noted.

Putin emphasized that the Russian side is not going to enter the arms race “costly and destructive for the economy” of the country.

“At the same time, Russia is still open for an equal and constructive dialogue with the United States of America to restore confidence and strengthen international security,” Putin said.

"The propaganda of the West is doing everything to hush up Russia's position"

The US withdrawal from the INF Treaty was, of course, a planned action, said Anton Morozov, member of the State Duma’s Foreign Affairs Committee. According to him, during this procedure and now the Americans are trying to expose Russia in the eyes of the public as the culprit of what happened.

“In America, there is interest in resuming production, testing and deploying medium- and shorter-range missiles in Europe and in the Asia-Pacific region. But the interests of the American military-industrial complex enterprises are behind all this, ”the parliamentarian added in an interview with RT.

In turn, the deputy chairman of the Federation Council committee on international affairs, the head of the commission for the protection of state sovereignty, Andrei Klimov, pointed out that US actions are due to global reasons and a desire to prevent the development of China's military-political capabilities.

“Western propaganda is doing everything to hush up Russia's position on this issue. Nevertheless, given the attention paid to the speeches of Vladimir Putin around the world, he repeats this position every time. For our part, within the framework of parliamentary diplomacy, we are also trying to convey this thesis, ”the senator noted in a commentary to RT.

“Moreover, I believe that such work should be increased. The struggle for peace involves not just some exclamations, but also accurate knowledge of who the threat to peace comes from. In this case, it comes from the provocative actions of the United States, ”Klimov explained.

His colleague, a member of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs, Oleg Morozov, emphasized that the Russian leadership quite reasonably and with the help of facts shows the world why and why the US destroyed the INF Treaty.

“This is not the first time Vladimir Putin has said that we will always have a symmetrical answer in terms of the military component. Today, the world can only rest on a balance of power; no other security option exists. Therefore, our adequate response is required, ”said Morozov RT.

“For such a short time, such weapons are not created”

On the eve, at the request of Russia and China, an extraordinary meeting of the UN Security Council on the issue of US missile development was held. During the dispute and. about. Russian Permanent Representative to the Organization Dmitry Polyansky pointed out that the denunciation by the Americans of the INF Treaty "knocked out another pillar in the architecture of arms control." In addition, past tests have shown that the United States was developing this type of weapon during the Treaty.

“Otherwise, how can, as the Pentagon chief Mark Esper did, announce the possibility of deploying ground-based short and medium-range missiles within a few months? For such a short time, such weapons are not created, ”the diplomat explained.

China’s permanent representative to the UN, Zhang Jun, also noted the negative effect of the US withdrawing from the INF Treaty and called on Washington to abandon the deployment of medium- and shorter-range ground-based missiles in Europe and Asia.

Meanwhile, their American counterpart Jonathan Cohen called the past tests a defense of national interests from Russia, since it was Moscow that allegedly violated the provisions of the Treaty by developing a 9M729 missile. At the same time, the diplomat did not indicate that Moscow repeatedly noted that the radius of the missile was less than 500 km, and the Russian Defense Ministry held an open briefing to debunk all doubts, but US representatives and their allies did not want to come to him. The position of the American diplomat was supported by the European troika - Britain, Germany and France.

“As we expected, the United States and countries that gnaw them, contrary to facts and common sense, are blaming them for good, accusing Russia of all mortal sins,” Polyansky concluded in the course of his response.