War in Ukraine: Why Russia could produce short- and medium-range missiles that were previously banned ?

Vladimir Poutine annonce la production de missiles russes. SPUTNIK POOL – SERGEY GUNEEV/SPUTNIK/KREMLIN POOL

Ce vendredi 28 juin 2024, Vladimir Poutine a indiqué que la Russie devrait produire des missiles de courte et moyenne portée qui étaient, avant, interdits.

The Kremlin boss said Friday that Russia should begin producing short- and medium-range missiles, previously banned under a treaty with the United States that is no longer in force.

A broken treaty

"It seems that we need to start producing these strike systems", the Russian president said during& ;rsquo;a meeting with senior security officials, referring to missiles with a range of between 500 and 5,500 kilometers, which were the subject of controls as part of ;an agreement dating back to the Cold War.

Washington withdrew in 2019 from this Treaty on Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF), citing its non-compliance by Moscow. Russia then assured that it would observe a moratorium on the production of such devices if the Americans did not deploy them at a distance that would allow them to reach its territory.

Removal of bans

In his televised speech on Friday, Putin claimed that the United States had begun using such missiles during training exercises in Denmark. "We need to respond to this and make decisions about what to do next in this area. It looks like we need to start producing these strike systems", he continued. "And then, in depending on the reality of the situation, we will make decisions on where to deploy them for our security", added the Russian head of state.

Several treaties concluded during the Cold War between Washington and Moscow intended to limit the nuclear arms race and ease tensions at the height of their rivalry, have ended in recent years. Last year, Russia suspended its participation in the New START treaty on strategic nuclear weapons.

The United States, for its part, provided Ukraine with short-range missiles to support it in the face of the Russian invasion. Last month, they partially lifted the ban on Ukrainians using these weapons against targets on Russian territory.