The United States has threatened to launch a preemptive military strike against Russia if it does not halt developing a banned cruise missile system.
Washington claims Moscow is violating a Cold War treaty and developing a ground-launched cruise missile which could empower Russia to launch a nuclear strike on Europe at short notice. Russia has repeatedly denied any such violation.
“At that point, we would be looking at the capability to take out a (Russian) missile that could hit any of our countries,” US ambassador to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison said at a news conference on Tuesday in Brussels.
“Counter measures (by the United States) would be to take out the missiles that are in development by Russia in violation of the treaty,” she added. “They are on notice.”
Russia has not so far made any comment on the unprecedented threat issued by the top US official permanently stationed in the NATO headquarters.
In the past, Moscow has…