Russia has offered an unexpected interpretation of a historic agreement with the United States on intermediate-range missile deployment, sparking concerns at a critical international juncture.

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According to Russian media, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov stated late Sunday that Russia had continued developing medium- and short-range missile systems during the moratorium on their deployment, and now possesses a substantial arsenal of such weapons.

The Russian news agency quoted Ryabkov, in an interview with state-run Channel One, as saying:
“We made it clear at the time of the moratorium announcement that it applied only to deployment, and there was no mention whatsoever of halting research and development activities.”

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He added: “We used that time to develop the appropriate systems and build a considerable arsenal in this field.”

Earlier this month, Russia announced it was ending what it described as a unilateral suspension of intermediate-range missile deployment, saying it was an inevitable response to actions taken by the United States and its allies.

The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, signed in 1987 by the Soviet Union and the United States, was then viewed as a sign of easing tensions between the two rival superpowers. Over time, however, the treaty collapsed amid deteriorating relations.

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The United States withdrew from the treaty in 2019, during Donald Trump’s first term, citing violations denied by Russia.

The Russian announcement comes amid mutual threats between Moscow and Washington over strategic nuclear weapons.

In response to what he called Russian provocation, the U.S. president deployed two nuclear submarines, ahead of a planned summit on Friday in Alaska between Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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