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MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Wednesday that if the United States deploys new intermediate-range missiles in Europe after being removed from a nuclear treaty banning these weapons, European countries would risk "a possible counter attack".
President Trump said over the weekend that the United States intended to withdraw from a 1987 agreement banning short and medium-range missiles launched from land. He said that Russia was cheating on the agreement and that it was deficient because China is not a signatory.
The United States, Trump said, will develop weapons now banned by the treaty, which will result in Russian warnings about a new arms race.
On Wednesday, at a press conference in Moscow, Putin said that European countries would assume the risk of Trump's decision if new missiles arrived in Europe.
"The main question is, if the US withdraws from this treaty, what will they do with these new missiles?" Mr Putin said. Any European country that accepts new missiles, he said, "will have to understand that they are putting their own territory under the threat of a possible strike."
"I do not understand if Europe should be put in such a dangerous situation," he said. "In fact, I see no reason for that."
On Tuesday, US National Security Adviser John R. Bolton said in Moscow on Tuesday that the risk was actually caused by Russia's non-compliance. He said Moscow had already deployed prohibited missiles.
The United States said the Russians had deployed ground-launched missiles known as SSC-8 in the west. They have a scope prohibited by the treaty and are able to hit European targets, say the Americans.
The issue has created divisions among members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Regardless of the threat posed by the new Russian missiles, many European leaders have opposed Mr. Trump's plans to abandon the treaty.
On Wednesday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said it was unlikely that European members would deploy new weapons.
"We do not want a new cold war," he said. "I do not foresee that allies will deploy more nuclear weapons in Europe in response to the new Russian missile."
Putin said Russia would be able to quickly deploy intermediate-range missiles if the US withdrew from the deal, known as I.N.F. Treaty.
"It will be very fast and efficient," he said. "Indeed, under what formal pretext our partners withdrew from the I.N.F. agreement? It was the charge against us that we had ostensibly violated it. "
