Vladimir Putin Warns US Over Long-Range Missile Deployment

Vladimir Putin has cautioned the U.S. against deploying long-range missiles in Germany, warning of a potential Cold War-style crisis. The U.S. plans to deploy these missiles from 2026, including SM-6, Tomahawk cruise missiles, and hypersonic weapons. Putin signaled Russia would respond in kind, exacerbating tensions reminiscent of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday warned the United States that if Washington deployed long-range missiles in Germany, then Russia would station similar missiles within striking distance of the West. The United States announced on July 10 plans to start deploying long-range missiles in Germany from 2026, which will include SM-6, Tomahawk cruise missiles, and developmental hypersonic weapons.

Addressing sailors from Russia, China, Algeria, and India at a ceremony in St Petersburg marking Russian Navy Day, Putin cautioned that the U.S. risked sparking a Cold War-style missile crisis. 'The flight time to targets on our territory of such missiles, which may in the future be equipped with nuclear warheads, will be about 10 minutes,' said Putin.

'We will take reciprocal measures to deploy, taking into account the actions of the United States and its allies in Europe and other regions of the world.' Referring to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Putin portrayed it as a historical struggle against the West, which he claims humiliated Russia post the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991 by encroaching upon Moscow's sphere of influence.

(With inputs from agencies.)