Russian President Vladmir Putin says he does not want the U.S. to deploy mid-range missile systems in South Korea and Japan.
Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum held in Vladivostok on Thursday,... Putin said the placement of ground-launched intermediate-range missile systems would be seen as a "significant problem" for Moscow.
He said the deployment may be carried out "under the pretext" of preventing threats from North Korea,... but that a large part of the Russian territory would fall into the range of the missile systems.
Putin also said that Russia would produce new missiles that would have been banned,... under a nuclear arms treaty which the U.S. pulled out of last month.
He did say, however, that Moscow would not deploy the new cruise missiles unless Washington makes the first move.