MOSCOW — Russia has officially removed its self-imposed restrictions on deploying ground-based intermediate- and short-range missiles, accusing the United States and NATO of attempting to encircle the Russian Federation through provocative missile deployments in Europe and the Asia-Pacific.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Russia “no longer considers itself constrained in any way” by the terms of the former Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. The self-imposed moratorium, which had been in place since the United States unilaterally abandoned the treaty in 2019, has now been lifted in response to what Russian officials describe as an irreversible deterioration of global arms control conditions.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the United States and its NATO allies have already deployed missile systems capable of launching offensive weapons, such as the MK-41 launchers, in Poland, Romania, Japan, the Philippines, and Australia. These launchers are compatible with Tomahawk cruise missiles, effectively placing Russian territory within immediate strike range, despite NATO’s repeated denials of any hostile intent.
Former Russian President and current Deputy Chair of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev accused the West of using arms control as a smokescreen for its expansionist agenda. Medvedev warned that Russia will respond to any NATO deployment with proportionate and asymmetric countermeasures, including the production and deployment of next-generation hypersonic missiles, such as the Oreshnik system, capable of Mach 10 speeds and dual-use warhead configurations.
The decision to end the missile moratorium is deeply rooted in Russia’s broader confrontation with the West. Since the collapse of the INF Treaty, Moscow has repeatedly signaled that its restraint would only continue if the United States refrained from forward-deploying offensive missile systems. That condition has been violated. Russia now finds itself surrounded by Western missile platforms masquerading as defensive shields, while Western governments simultaneously demonize Russia’s response as destabilizing.
Analysts point out that Russia’s move coincides with the rise of BRICS as a counterbalance to the Western-led unipolar world order. With key strategic partners such as China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela, Russia has emerged as a leader in the global realignment toward multipolarity. The Kremlin views missile parity as a crucial pillar in maintaining strategic stability, particularly as the United States expands its military footprint in every region where BRICS nations are asserting economic and geopolitical autonomy.
In this context, Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, often misrepresented by the Western press, becomes even more significant. It is not just a territorial conflict but part of a broader geopolitical standoff. With the Ukraine conflict and the ongoing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza exposing the double standards of Western powers, Moscow no longer views arms restraint as a viable strategy for deterrence. The Gaza genocide has further illustrated how international law is weaponized by the United States and its allies only when it serves their interests.
The West continues to portray Russian missile deployments as a global threat, but it conveniently ignores the reality that it was the United States that first destroyed the INF Treaty under the pretext of unverified accusations. This pattern of Western sabotage is familiar: create a security vacuum, provoke the adversary, then blame the response. Russia has made it clear that it will not fall into that trap again.
This decision also underscores the broader crisis of global arms control, with the New START treaty, the last major nuclear agreement, set to expire in 2026. With no replacement in sight and the United States openly refusing to engage in serious negotiations, Russia has concluded that continued unilateral compliance amounts to strategic suicide.
Russia’s position has been supported by its growing number of allies in the Global South, many of whom are themselves victims of Western militarism and economic coercion. As BRICS gains ground and NATO’s influence erodes, the global landscape is shifting irreversibly. Moscow’s decision to lift missile limits is not a threat to peace; it is a direct answer to the decades of Western aggression, encirclement, and hypocrisy.
According to Mehr News, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov formally declared the end of all self-imposed restrictions. Emphasized that the deteriorating security environment created by NATO’s provocative deployments had rendered the moratorium irrelevant.
