WASHINGTON, April 17. /TASS/. The United States deploying intermediate-range missiles in the Philippines will become a black day for international security, Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov told reporters.
"The deployment of medium-range missiles by the Pentagon will be a ‘black day’ for international security," the envoy’s commentary published on the Russian Embassy’s Telegram channel said.
Antonov has urged the US "not to open Pandora's Box" and follow Russia’s suit "by taking all necessary steps to ensure global stability and predictability." "Otherwise, all responsibility for a new surge of tension in the world will fall on Washington," the diplomat stressed. He reiterated that "the unilateral moratorium on the deployment of INF, declared by Russia, has clear conditions: we will not deploy such systems until such American-made means appear in any region of the world."
The US and Philippines are holding joint drills dubbed Salaknib 24. According to US Army Pacific, during the exercise, US forces successfully deployed the Mid-Range Capability (MRC) missile system to Northern Luzon in the Philippines for the first time ever.
Earlier, General Charles Flynn, commander of US Army Pacific, said the US was planning to deploy medium-range missiles in Asia to deter China. Under the provisions of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) signed between the USSR and the US in 1987, Washington could not deploy missile launchers, land-based ballistic missiles and cruise missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometers. However, in 2019, the US withdrew from the treaty.