"We need to respond to this and make decisions about what we will have to do in this direction next. Apparently, we need to start manufacturing these systems and then, based on the actual situation, make decisions about where – if necessary to ensure our safety – to deploy them," Putin said at an operational meeting with the permanent members of the Russian Security Council.
The United States not only produces INF, but also brings them to Europe, the president said.
"In 2019, we announced that we would not produce these missiles, and we would not deploy them until the United States deployed these systems in some region of the world. Today it is known that the United States not only produces these missile systems, but has already brought them to Europe for drills, to Denmark," Putin said at an operational meeting with the permanent members of the Russian Security Council.
Currently it is unknown whether the US removed the medium- and short-range missiles from Philippines, where they were previously delivered as part of drills, Putin said.
In an earlier interview with Sputnik, Russian Foreign Minster Sergey Lavrov spoke on the developments regarding US deploying ground-based intermediate and shorter-range missiles in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
"The implementation of US plans to deploy ground-based INF missiles will not go unanswered by us. Specifically, in this scenario, the abandonment of unilateral self-imposed restrictions introduced by Russia after a US withdrawal from the INF Treaty is inevitable," the minister noted.