Russia will attack any nation that agrees to house and launch U.S. intermediate-range missiles, Vladimir Putin warned Wednesday.
The Cold War-like statement came days after President Donald Trump announced he would withdraw from the treaty that bans ground-launched nukes with a range of 300 to 3,400 miles.
"If they are deployed in Europe, we will naturally have to respond in kind," Putin told reporters in Moscow.
"The European nations that would agree to that should understand that they would expose their territory to the threat of a possible retaliatory strike. These are obvious things."
"I don't understand why we should put Europe in such a grave danger," he continued. "I see no reason for that. I would like to repeat that it's not our choice. We don't want it."
Putin has charged it was the United States that violated pact with missile defense facilities in Romania that could be used to hold cruise missiles in violation of the INF.
NATO officials, meanwhile, say it is Russia's fault for the U.S. withdrawal, accusing Moscow of developing new weapons and violating the rules of the agreement.
Nevertheless, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday he does not expect the United States to add more nukes in Europe as a response.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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