The United States is mulling the option of creating a European station for nuclear missiles in retaliation to the alleged Russian breach of the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty by Moscow, which has decided to move tactical nuclear weapons systems into recently-annexed Crimea – much to the ire of Washington.
Although the Obama administration has made it clear that his government will not get entangled in a never-ending cycle of action and reaction against the Russian side , the Western giant seems to be left with no option but to retaliate against the Russian nuclear proliferation in the strongest possible way.
As soon as Russia made it clear that it would move tactical nuclear weapons systems into Crimea, a US bill was quickly passed, to provide lethal military assistance to the embattled Ukraine. But Russia expressed outrage at what it called "openly confrontational" legislation, according to AFP.
Washington was apprehensive about the impending Russian move as was evident in a letter sent to President Obama by three senior House Republican leaders two weeks ago, warning that Moscow may deploy nuclear weapons armed with long-range air launched cruise missiles into occupied Ukrainian territory.
"Locating nuclear weapons on the sovereign territory of another state without its permission is a devious and cynical action," states the letter signed by House Armed Services Committee Chairman Howard P. "Buck" McKeon (R., Calif.) and two subcommittee chairmen, reports Free Beacon.
Putin had indicated the deployment of nuclear weapons to Crimea last month – making its western foe wary of each Russian move and development. In their 23 September letter to the president, the lawmakers had said the Russian moves were not discussed during the recent NATO summit in Wales.
As a result, the congressmen urged the president to brief Congress on the looming threat of Russian nuclear deployment in Crimea. They also demanded the suspension of the NATO-Russia accord while removing all Russian military personnel from NATO facilities.
The leaders wanted the administration to begin research and development on 'deployment of sites' for new US intermediate-range ground-launched cruise and ballistic missiles in the European countries if Russia remained in defiance of the INF accord.
"Until we have a strategy that convinces Mr. Putin he cannot achieve his dream of a 'New Russia' through illegal annexations, covert invasions, and nuclear sabre-rattling, statements and sanctions along cannot be expected to have an effect on his actions," the letter warns.
Further, Brian P. McKeon, the deputy undersecretary of defense for policy, has been cited as telling a joint hearing on Russian treaty violations recently, that the US cruise missiles will definitely be deployed in the Ukrainian region if Russia continues to provoke the United States.
