Russia condemns U.S. missile system deployed in Trøndelag

Russia’s Foreign Ministry has condemned the deployment of an advanced American missile system in Trøndelag, calling it a move that leaves no room for constructive dialogue on strategic issues.

Reuters reported that the system was flown to Trondheim during the Atlantic City military exercise, held around the turn of August and September. It is reportedly capable of launching Tomahawk missiles that can reach large parts of Russia, including Moscow.

“Such steps reduce the chance of constructive dialogue on strategic issues to zero,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry referred to the treaty that banned intermediate-range missiles in Europe. The INF Treaty expired in August 2019 after U.S. President Donald Trump suspended the agreement. It prohibited land-based missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,000 kilometers in Europe.

Tomahawk missiles can fly more than 500 kilometers. Although the INF Treaty was an agreement between Russia and the United States and therefore did not apply as international law in Norway, such missiles were effectively prohibited in Norway until 2019. Norwegian authorities had maintained that Russia had violated the treaty for an extended period before the United States suspended it.

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Such steps reduce the chance of constructive dialogue on strategic issues to zero.