During talks in Kyiv, US Army Minister Dan Driscoll warned European diplomats about the growing missile threat from Russia. Portnikov notes that the pace of Russian missile production could threaten not only Ukraine, but also other European countries.
American diplomats now use this threat as an argument to push for a peace plan that would require Ukraine to make concessions. The plan, according to reports, was proposed by the Kremlin and written by Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov. While the US used to condemn Russia’s missile production and provided arms to Ukraine, the current focus puts pressure on Kyiv in negotiations.
Portnikov raises the question: if Russia does not reduce missile production and is not required to disarm after a peace deal, does this create future threats for Europe? Moscow could use its missile arsenal to blackmail the West and demand concessions, as seen with demands to change NATO’s charter in 2021. Russia still insists that there can be no peace without limiting Western sovereignty—a key goal of the Kremlin.
Such arguments might be used by politicians in European countries to justify reaching deals on Putin’s terms. This could result in new security challenges for Europe in the future.
