Russia Lifts Self-Imposed Ban on Intermediate-Range Missile Deployments Amid Rising Tensions

Russia has announced that it will no longer adhere to its self-imposed ban on the deployment of intermediate-range missiles, as stated by the Foreign Ministry on Monday. This decision is attributed to what Russia perceives as escalating threats from the United States and other Western nations.

The moratorium was established by Moscow after the United States exited the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 2019, which prohibited the deployment of land-based missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,500 kilometers. The U.S. had claimed that Russia was in violation of the treaty.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry indicated that Russia had called on NATO countries to implement a reciprocal moratorium to avoid an arms race in the Asia-Pacific region, but no agreement was reached.

The ministry accused the United States of testing, producing, and deploying INF-range missiles in areas vital to Russian security, asserting that the circumstances for maintaining its voluntary moratorium “no longer exist.”

“The Russian Federation can now declare that it no longer feels bound by the self-imposed restrictions previously established,” the ministry stated, mentioning that its future “response measures” would be influenced by the extent of Western military deployments.

In June, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov hinted that Moscow might lift the moratorium, describing such a move as a “logical” response to what he termed “significant missile threats” from the West.

Later that day, Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, stated that this step is a direct outcome of NATO’s «anti-Russian stance.» He warned that “this new reality will be something all our adversaries must consider. More actions should be anticipated,” he posted in English on X.

Medvedev, who held the presidency from 2008 to 2012, has recently engaged in public exchanges with U.S. President Donald Trump, who announced last week that he had ordered the deployment of two nuclear submarines in reaction to Medvedev’s nuclear threats on social media.

On Tuesday, the Kremlin commented that it “believes it has the right to take appropriate measures if deemed necessary” following its decision to suspend the moratorium.

Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov indicated to reporters that a formal announcement regarding the possible deployment of INF-range missiles is unlikely. “This matter pertains to the defense sector, which is a sensitive and non-transparent domain,” he stated.