Russia Ends Moratorium on Missile Deployment

Russia has declared it is no longer bound by a previous moratorium on deploying short- and medium-range missiles. This decision follows the U.S. withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty in 2019. Russia accuses the U.S. and NATO of actions destabilizing the strategic sphere.

In a significant geopolitical development, Russia announced it no longer considers itself constrained by a moratorium on deploying short- and medium-range missiles. This decision was revealed by the Russian Foreign Ministry on Monday, escalating tensions in an already fraught strategic environment.

The move traces its origins back to the 2019 U.S. decision to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty. Russia had previously pledged not to deploy such missiles provided the U.S. refrained from similar actions. However, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov indicated last December that Moscow felt compelled to counter perceived destabilizing activities by the U.S. and NATO.

The Ministry's statement underscores Russia's stance, attributing the change to the growing presence of U.S.-manufactured land-based missiles in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. This shift is likely to have far-reaching implications for global security dynamics.

(With inputs from agencies.)