Russia Says US Missiles Threaten Nuclear Talks

Russia criticized the deployment of a modern US missile system in NATO member Norway, saying on Monday that the move had dealt another blow to prospects for US-Russian negotiations on strategic nuclear stability.

The reaction followed reports in US media in August that a system equipped with Mk-41 launchers capable of firing Tomahawk cruise missiles had been delivered to Norway.

The Russian Foreign Ministry warned that the launchers pose a threat to a significant part of European Russia, including Moscow. According to the ministry, their deployment undermines the conditions for constructive dialogue and would make them a direct target in the event of a military conflict. It therefore described plans for multilateral negotiations involving China as unrealistic.

The Kremlin also criticized Norway for strengthening its defenses in the Arctic by expanding the Finnmark Brigade and planning to deploy long-range missile systems. Norway has justified the move by citing lessons from the war in Ukraine that demonstrate the need for such systems.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the military buildup as a direct threat to Russia’s security that, he said, required Moscow to adopt additional countermeasures.

(Reuters, Max)