Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to resume production of nuclear missiles, previously banned by a defunct US treaty. According to Putin, renewed missile production is necessary because the US has resumed production and deployed missiles to Denmark and the Philippines. He made the comments during a televised Security Council session on Friday.

The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty prohibited ground-based nuclear and conventional missiles with a range of 310 to 3415 miles (500 to 5,500 kilometers). Signed in 1988 by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and US President Ronald Reagan, it was considered a landmark in arms control.

“Today, it is known that the United States not only produces these missile systems, but has already brought them to Europe for exercises, to Denmark. Quite recently, it was announced that they are in the Philippines,” Putin told the council, adding that “there is a need to begin production of these strike systems and, based on the current situation, to decide where they may need to be placed to ensure safety.”

Treaty eliminated thousands of nuclear missiles

According to the Arms Control Association, the agreement eliminated a whole class of nuclear weapons and established rigorous on-site inspections for verification. By the treaty’s implementation deadline of June 1, 1991, the US and Russia collectively dismantled 2,692 short-, medium-, and intermediate-range missiles.

However, starting in 2014, the US accused Russia of noncompliance, leading to years of mutual allegations and denials. The Trump administration withdrew from the treaty in 2019, citing concerns over Russia’s noncompliance and China’s missile arsenal.

In April this year, the US Army announced the successful deployment of a Mid-Range Capability missile system to Northern Luzon, Philippines, as part of a military exercise. The deployment, described as a “landmark,” marks a significant milestone for the new capability and aims to enhance interoperability, readiness, and defense capabilities in coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Russia threatens Western targets amid Ukraine tensions

At the beginning of this month, on June 5, Moscow indicated its readiness to provide advanced weapons to specific regions, potentially enabling strikes against “sensitive” Western targets if Ukraine uses Western arms to attack Russia.

Since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, Putin has also made repeated nuclear threats against Ukraine and the West. However, despite these threats, Russia has continued its all-out war without resorting to its nuclear arsenal.

Putin’s latest statement coincided with a UN Security Council session addressing weapons transfers from North Korea to Russia.

Jonah Leff from Conflict Armament Research (CAR) confirmed that missiles used against Ukraine originated from North Korea, Euronews reported.

According to the expert, the evidence collected by CAR conclusively establishes that the missile fired in the Kharkiv attack originated from North Korea. 

“We observed additional conventional weapons manufactured by the DPRK that had been seized on the front lines and had not been observed on the battlefield previously in Ukraine,” Leff told the UN Security Council, whose resolutions prohibit the transfer of weapons to Russia.