Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev attend a meeting with members of the Security Council at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Aug. 5, 2019. (Sputnik/M. Klimentyev/Kremlin)
MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin says his country will not deploy short- or medium-range nuclear weapons unless in response to U.S. deployments.
His comments Monday come after a meeting with his security council concerning Washington's withdrawal Friday from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
Putin says "our actions will be exclusively reciprocal and mirrored" relating to "the development, production and deployment" of missiles once banned by INF.
Earlier Monday, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters Washington's withdrawal from the treaty raised the risk of a new nuclear arms race.
The U.S. announced its intention of withdrawing from the treaty last year, after accusing Russia for years of violating the treaty with a new ground-launched missile.