uropean countries would be putting themselves at risk if they accept deployments of long-range US missiles, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a video published on Saturday.
Asked by Russian state TV reporter Pavel Zarubin about the possibility of the United States deploying hypersonic missiles to Europe, Peskov said: “We have enough potential to deter these missiles. But the capitals of these (European) states are potential victims.”
Peskov noted that throughout the Cold War, American missiles based in Europe were aimed at Russia, with Russian missiles aimed at Europe in return, making the continent’s countries the chief victim of any potential conflict.
He said: “Europe is now coming apart at the seams. This is not the best time for Europe. Therefore, in one way or another, history will repeat itself”
The White House announced on Wednesday during a NATO summit that it would periodically station long-range weapons including Tomahawk cruise missiles in Germany from 2026 as a deterrent.
“Exercising these advanced capabilities will demonstrate the United States’ commitment to NATO and its contributions to European integrated deterrence,” the White House said.
The Kremlin has already criticised the move, accusing Washington of taking a step towards a new Cold War and of directly participating in the conflict in Ukraine.
Russia’s defence ministry on Friday said that Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov held a telephone call with his US counterpart Lloyd Austin where they discussed lowering the risk of “possible escalation”.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has hailed the US decision despite criticism from members of his Social Democrats.
The decision marks a return of US cruise missiles to Germany after a 20-year absence.
Defending the decision, Scholz told reporters at the NATO summit that it was “something of deterrence and it’s securing peace, and it is a necessary and important decision at the right time.”
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius told broadcaster Deutschlandfunk that the deployment decision addressed a “very serious gap” in the country’s capabilities.
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