Putin Warns U.S. of Cold War-Style Missile Crisis

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday issued a warning to the United States, stating that if Washington deploys long-range missiles in Germany from 2026, Russia will respond by stationing similar missiles within striking distance of the West.

The United States announced plans to start deploying long-range fire capabilities in Germany in 2026 to reinforce its commitment to NATO and European defense. These deployments will include SM-6, Tomahawk cruise missiles, and developmental hypersonic weapons, which have a longer range than the current capabilities in Europe.

During a speech to sailors from Russia, China, Algeria, and India on Russian Navy Day in St. Petersburg, Putin cautioned that such moves could lead to a Cold War-style missile crisis. He emphasized the short flight time of these missiles to Russian targets, which could be about 10 minutes, and suggested that they could potentially be equipped with nuclear warheads in the future.

“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 stated.

Putin also accused the United States of stoking tensions by transferring Typhon missile systems to Denmark and the Philippines. He likened the current U.S. plans to NATO’s 1979 decision to deploy Pershing II launchers in Western Europe, which had significantly heightened tensions during the Cold War.