U.S. plan to deploy missiles in Germany a 'direct threat' - Moscow | 11 July 2024 | U.S. plans to deploy long-range missiles in Europe are a threat to global security and could pave the way for an escalation of already tense relations between Moscow and NATO, Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov has said. On Wednesday, the U.S. and Germany issued a joint statement that Washington "will begin episodic deployments of the long-range fires capabilities of its Multi-Domain Task Force in Germany in 2026, as part of planning for enduring stationing of these capabilities in the future." In a post on Telegram on Thursday, Antonov denounced the move as "a serious mistake by Washington. Such extremely destabilizing steps are a direct threat to international security and strategic stability," he said. The envoy stressed that the planned deployment "increases the risks of a missile arms race," adding that it could unleash "uncontrolled escalation amid dangerously soaring Russia-NATO tensions."