FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Russia said on Wednesday that if the United States deploys missiles in Japan, Russia's security will be threatened and that Moscow will retaliate.
Japan's Kyodo news agency reported on Sunday that Japan and the United States intend to draw up a joint military plan for possible contingencies around Taiwan, which includes the deployment of missiles.
It cited US and Japanese sources as saying that, under the plan, the US would deploy missile units on the Nansei Islands in Japan's southwestern Kagoshima and Okinawa prefectures, as well as in the Philippines.
The spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, accused Japan of escalating the situation around Taiwan to allegedly justify the deepening of military ties with Washington.
"We have repeatedly warned the Japanese side that if, as a result of such cooperation, American medium-range missiles appear on its territory, this will pose a serious threat to the security of our country and we will be forced to take measures , appropriate steps to strengthen our defense", she said.
Zakharova said Tokyo could get an idea of what those steps would be by reading Russia's updated nuclear doctrine, released last week, which expands the list of scenarios under which Moscow could consider using nuclear weapons.
On Monday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Russia would consider deploying short- and medium-range missiles in Asia if the United States deployed such missiles on the continent.
Asked about this statement, Zakharova refused to say where Russia might place these weapons, but emphasized that half of its territory is in Asia.
She said Moscow has sent a clear signal to the United States and its "satellites" that Russia will respond decisively and symmetrically to the deployment of medium- and short-range land-based missiles in different parts of the world.
Zakharova said the West should have no doubts about Russia's potential after launching a new medium-range hypersonic missile, the Oreshnik, at a target in Ukraine last week./ REL
Lini një Përgjigje