Russia May Lift Missile Deployment Ban Amid Rising Tensions with the West

Russia is contemplating the end of its unilateral pause on the deployment of intermediate- and shorter-range missiles, according to a senior official, as tensions with the West over Ukraine and European security escalate.

In a Sunday interview with the state-operated TASS news agency, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov remarked that the moratorium, which was put in place following the breakdown of a significant arms control agreement with the United States, is “approaching its logical conclusion.”

He criticized Washington and its allies for not recognizing what he called Russia’s forbearance in the post-INF Treaty context, stating that Moscow felt “compelled to react” to the emergence of what he termed “very concerning missile threats.”

The moratorium originates from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), a pivotal Cold War agreement signed by U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

The INF prohibited both the U.S. and Russia from developing, testing, and deploying ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,500 kilometers.

The United States withdrew from the INF Treaty in 2019, alleging that Russia violated its terms by developing and deploying the 9M729 missile, a claim that the Kremlin refuted.

U.S. officials argue that this missile, which is part of the Iskander missile system, goes beyond the 500-kilometer range limit and poses a threat to targets deep within Europe, particularly if stationed in Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave.

Ryabkov also criticized the growing support from NATO nations for Ukraine, noting recent decisions by several European governments to allow Kyiv to utilize Western-provided long-range weapons against targets within Russia.

“Leaders of the EU and NATO are unceasingly urging Kyiv to persist in its military actions, supplying it with weapons, equipment, and commitments for more,” Ryabkov stated. “Plans and provocations are being prepared and executed.”

Last summer, President Vladimir Putin suggested that Russia should restart the production of intermediate- and shorter-range missiles, framing the initiative as a necessary counteraction to U.S. actions.

«We must begin the production of these strike systems and then, based on the actual situation, decide where to position them if necessary for our safety,» Putin said during a Security Council meeting.