Before the INF Treaty in 1987, both NATO and the USSR were on hair triggers with Europe caught in the middle. The Soviet fleet of ICBMs was mainly positioned in Siberia and therefore out of reach of US intermediate missiles stationed in Europe. These Pershing II missiles, with their range of about 1100 miles, could only be used to decapitate the Soviet leadership in Moscow, the Russians thought. Therefore, the Soviets initiated a "FIRE ON WARNING" doctrine that ordered a full nuclear response to any "warning" of a Pershing II launch.
The reintroduction of intermediate-range missiles does not make us safer. It's a shame that Russia continues to lie and cheat about everything.
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