Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Sergei Ryabkov said in an interview with TASS on June 9, 2025, that Moscow is considering ending the moratorium on the deployment of intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles (INF). According to him, the unilateral restraint shown by Russia after the US withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 2019 was not properly assessed by Washington and its allies. Ryabkov emphasized that Russia is forced to respond to the growing missile threats emanating from the West, and the moratorium imposed by Moscow is "approaching its logical conclusion."

The INF Treaty, signed in 1987 by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and US leader Ronald Reagan, envisaged the destruction of missiles with a range of 500 to 5500 km that could carry nuclear warheads. The document was an important step in reducing Cold War tensions, eliminating the threat to European NATO members. However, in 2019, the US unilaterally withdrew from the agreement, accusing Russia of violating its terms, citing the development of the 9M729 missile for the Iskander complex. According to US data, this missile, officially declared with a range of 500 km, is capable of hitting targets at a much greater distance, including Western European capitals if deployed in the Kaliningrad region. Russia denied the accusations, arguing that the 9M729 complies with the parameters of the treaty.

According to Reuters, after the US withdrawal from the INF Treaty, Washington began developing and deploying its own medium-range missiles in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. In 2023, according to The Wall Street Journal, the US deployed Typhon systems in the Philippines, which caused protests from China and Russia. According to Ryabkov, these steps create “sensitive threats” to Russian security, forcing Moscow to reconsider its policies.