MOSCOW, July 18. /TASS/. Moscow does not rule out deploying nuclear missiles in response to the deployment of long-range US missiles in Germany, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told reporters.
"I don’t rule anything out," he said, when asked if Russia could deploy nuclear missiles in response to the US missile deployment in Germany.
"If officials from the German federal government believe it reasonable to carry out inflammatory activities, citing what we have in the region (Russia’s westernmost Kaliningrad region - TASS), then we will respond with retaliatory measures we deem appropriate," the senior diplomat stressed.
According to Ryabkov, given the combined capacities of NATO countries, Russia needs to calibrate its response, without feeling any "internal constraint" in terms of what to deploy, where and when. "That said, there is a wide range of options. It’s not about threatening anyone, it’s a way to find the most effective method to respond to the changing challenges, particularly in terms of costs," he added.
"Nothing is predetermined, and there is no predetermination for further tensions," Ryabkov went on to say. "Unfortunately, at this point, the West is going the way of escalation, searching for far-fetched pretexts to accuse us of allegedly infringing on its security. This is deplorable, but it won’t stop us from working to ensure security along the entire Russian border, definitely including the special military operation area," he emphasized.
Washington and Berlin said in a joint statement on July 10 that the US would begin deployments of long-range fires capabilities in Germany in 2026, "which have significantly longer range than current land-based fires in Europe." Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov pointed out that such plans increased the likelihood of a missile race and could lead to uncontrolled escalation.