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Russian lawmaker warns U.S. over possible nuclear weapon deployment in Germany

Xinhua, September 23, 2015 Adjust font size:

A Russian lawmaker on Wednesday warned the United States against the reported deployment of advanced nuclear bombs in Germany, saying Moscow would consider quitting from a bilateral nuclear treaty with Washington if the latter moves on with the alleged plan.

"Should they follow through on this decision, this could prompt Russia to exit the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty," Viktor Ozerov, chairman of the Russian Federation Council Committee of Security and Defense, was quoted as saying by the RIA Novosti news agency.

Earlier in the day, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said if the deployment plan is carried out, it will lead to a "strategic imbalance" in Europe and create tension in the continent, which will naturally force Russia to take responsive measures.

German media reported Tuesday that the United States would deploy 20 next-generation nuclear bombs B61-12 at the Buechel military airbase in western Germany. The German Defense Ministry has not made any comments till now.

The INF treaty, signed in 1987, eliminated ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with a range of 500-5,500 km. Endi