(MENAFN) Germany has officially requested to purchase US-made Typhon medium-range missile launchers as tensions persist with Russia over the Ukraine conflict, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced. These missile systems, which would have been prohibited under the now-defunct 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, are capable of firing Tomahawk cruise missiles and SM-6 multi-role missiles, with an operational range of approximately 2,000 kilometers — enough to reach deep into Russian territory if launched from Germany.

Speaking on Monday, Pistorius explained that Germany’s move aims to address a current gap in Europe’s defense capabilities until European nations can develop their own long-range missile systems, a process expected to take between seven and ten years.

However, Pistorius noted uncertainty regarding whether the US still intends to deploy its own long-range missiles to Germany starting in 2026 — a plan initially set by former President Joe Biden’s administration in 2024. While expressing confidence that the agreement remains in effect, Pistorius said Germany is awaiting a final confirmation from Washington.

Moscow strongly criticized the initial announcement of these deployments, warning that it would no longer consider itself bound by a self-imposed moratorium on similar missile systems if the US proceeds.

The potential stationing of Typhon systems recalls the controversial NATO deployment of Pershing II nuclear-capable missiles in West Germany during the 1980s. That move sparked widespread protests and heightened tensions between the US and the Soviet Union, eventually leading to the INF Treaty, under which both sides agreed to eliminate all land-based missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers.

The INF Treaty collapsed in 2019 when the US withdrew, accusing Russia of violations — allegations Moscow denies, countering that Washington had already been developing such banned weapons. Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that the treaty’s collapse severely undermines global security.

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