The Kremlin warned on Saturday that deploying US missiles in Germany could make European capitals targets for Russian missiles, echoing a Cold War-style confrontation.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov highlighted a “paradox” where “Europe is a target for our missiles, and our country is a target for US missiles in Europe.” Speaking on Russia 1, Peskov stated that while Russia has the capacity to contain these missiles, the potential victims would be the capitals of European countries.
Peskov suggested that such a confrontation could undermine Europe, similar to how the Cold War led to the Soviet Union’s collapse. He remarked that “Europe is coming apart” and a repeat of history is inevitable in a different configuration.
This warning followed the White House’s announcement during a NATO summit that it would periodically station long-range weapons, including Tomahawk cruise missiles, in Germany from 2026 as a deterrent. The US stated that this move demonstrates its commitment to NATO and European integrated deterrence.
The Kremlin criticized the decision, accusing Washington of moving towards a new Cold War and directly participating in the conflict in Ukraine. On Friday, Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov discussed lowering the risk of “possible escalation” with his US counterpart, Lloyd Austin.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz supported the US decision despite internal criticism, defending it as a necessary deterrent to secure peace. This marks the return of US cruise missiles to Germany after a 20-year absence.
