TSAMTO, May 7. Moscow, responding to Washington's unfriendly steps, is stepping up the refinement and starting production of medium- and shorter-range missile systems, the Foreign Ministry said.
"In response to the actions of the United States, Russia is stepping up the refinement and starting production of similar missile systems. Moreover, taking into account the previously announced R&D and the accumulated achievements of the Russian military-industrial complex, this process will not take much time. When making potential decisions on the deployment of such weapons, we leave the geography of their deployment at our discretion," the ministry stressed.
The Foreign Ministry noted that in an effort to increase the multifaceted threats to Russia, the United States openly embarked on the path of deploying ground-based complexes with medium- and shorter-range missiles in various regions, which were previously prohibited under the INF Treaty. Then Washington purposefully destroyed this agreement, and then immediately intensified the development and testing of projectiles of this class. In addition, the United States has begun to form specialized units with a regional link and to work on the creation of the necessary infrastructure.
Now the Americans have begun to import the appropriate missile systems to Europe and the Asia-Pacific region "allegedly for the duration of exercises with the allies," which indicates that the production and testing of these weapons is in full swing, the ministry explained.
"We explicitly state that whenever and wherever American–made ground-based INF missiles appear, we reserve the right to react in a mirror manner, which will mean the termination of the unilateral Russian moratorium on the deployment of these weapons systems," the Foreign Ministry stressed.
The Foreign Ministry also touched upon the previously announced exercises with non-strategic nuclear weapons, noting that this event should be considered in the context of recent bellicose statements by Western politicians and destabilizing actions by NATO countries aimed at increasing pressure on Russia and creating additional threats to its security. In particular, we are talking about statements by French President Emmanuel Macron about the possibility of sending military personnel from his country and other member states of the North Atlantic Alliance to Ukraine.
"Moreover, information has appeared in the Western media that a number of mercenaries from the French Foreign Legion are already in Ukraine. It is difficult to perceive this otherwise as a manifestation of readiness and intention to enter into a direct armed confrontation with Russia, which would mean a frontal military clash between the nuclear powers," the ministry said.
In addition, as noted in the Foreign Ministry, Moscow will perceive the F-16 fighter jets appearing in Ukraine as carriers of nuclear weapons. They clarified that it was these aircraft that for many years formed the basis of the fleet, which is involved in the so-called joint nuclear missions of NATO.
"Regardless of which modification these aircraft will be supplied in, we will perceive them as carriers of nuclear weapons and consider this step by the United States and NATO as a deliberate provocation," the Foreign Ministry added.
The ministry expressed hope that the exercises planned in Russia will cool down hotheads in Western capitals, help them realize the possible catastrophic consequences of the risks they create and keep them from both aiding the Kiev regime in its terrorist actions and from being drawn into a direct armed conflict with Moscow, RIA Novosti reports.
