Putin Threatens Missile Deployment in Response to U.S. Plans in Germany

Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a stern warning to the United States regarding its plans to deploy long-range missiles in Germany. 

The Russian leader cautioned that if the U.S. proceeds with this action in 2026, Russia will respond by positioning similar missiles within striking distance of the West.

Earlier this month, the U.S. and Germany announced plans for “episodic deployments” of long-range fire capabilities in Germany, starting in 2026. 

The U.S. made the announcement to demonstrate its commitment to NATO and the European Union. 

The deployments will include SM-6 and Tomahawk cruise missiles, as well as developmental hypersonic weapons.

On Sunday, speaking at an event marking Russian Navy Day in St. Petersburg, Putin addressed the potential consequences of such deployments. 

“The flight time to targets on our territory of such missiles, which in the future may be equipped with nuclear warheads, will be about 10 minutes,” he stated. 

The Russian president added, “We will take mirror measures to deploy, taking into account the actions of the United States, its satellites in Europe and in other regions of the world.”

Putin, who deployed his army into Ukraine in 2022, portrays the conflict as part of a long-standing battle with the West. 

He argues that after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the West humiliated Russia by encroaching on what he views as Moscow’s sphere of influence.

In his speech, the Russian president drew parallels between the current situation and the Cold War era, specifically referencing NATO’s 1979 decision to deploy Pershing II launchers in Western Europe. 

He expressed concern that these actions could reignite tensions reminiscent of that period.

During the 1980s, at the peak of the Cold War, the U.S. stationed Pershing ballistic missiles in West Germany. 

These missiles remained in place through Germany’s reunification and into the 1990s. 

However, after the Cold War ended, the U.S. substantially decreased its missile presence in Europe as Moscow’s alleged threat diminished.

Putin also reiterated his previous warning that Moscow might resume production of intermediate and shorter-range nuclear-capable missiles if the U.S. brings similar weapons to Europe and Asia.