Russian President Vladimir Putin says the US test of a ground-launched cruise missile has raised new threats to Russia and his country will react accordingly.
Putin made the remark on Wednesday in Finland.
The US test-fired the cruise missile in California on Sunday. It said the missile accurately hit a target over 500 kilometers away.
This type of missile was banned under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which expired on August 2.
Putin accused the United States of test-launching the missile too quickly after having withdrawn from the treaty.
He pointed out that the US missile defense system is already deployed in Romania and it will also be deployed in Poland in the near future.
He charged that the US can fire newly developed missiles using a launcher for this system.
Putin said Russia will also work to design ground-launched cruise missiles, but reaffirmed that Russia will not deploy them anywhere before the US does that first.
NHK
