(MENAFN) Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Monday blamed NATO for Moscow’s decision to end its moratorium on deploying short- and medium-range nuclear missiles.

Medvedev, now deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, stated on X that the Russian Foreign Ministry’s move to withdraw from the missile moratorium is a direct response to NATO’s anti-Russian stance. He warned that this shift marks a new reality that Russia’s adversaries must face and hinted at further measures to come.

The announcement followed Russia’s Foreign Ministry declaring that Moscow no longer considers itself bound by self-imposed restrictions under the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. The treaty required the US and the Soviet Union to eliminate all ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers.

The US exited the treaty in 2019 during President Donald Trump’s administration, accusing Russia of violations—a claim Russia denied.

Russia’s statement came shortly after Trump ordered the deployment of two US nuclear submarines near Russia, escalating tensions amid ongoing sharp exchanges between Medvedev and Trump on social media.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized on Monday that Russia approaches nuclear issues with caution and responsibility. He stressed the country’s commitment to nuclear non-proliferation and urged all parties to exercise great care in nuclear-related rhetoric.

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