DISINFO: Russia was deceived by the US about Aegis medium-range land-based missiles in Romania and Poland
SUMMARY
The US told Russia that the Aegis system could not be used for medium-range land-based missiles. The Aegis was already in Europe and prepared for Romania and Poland. Russia was told: ‘It cannot be used for medium-range land-based missiles’. And then the US burst the bomb and announced that the Aegis system could be used to launch these medium-range missiles. At least they could take a longer break, after the withdrawal from the INF Treaty. It is clear that Russia was deceived. The US tried to deceive us, and now the US just admitted it.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about missile defence systems. The US did not lie to Russia, therefore Russia was not deceived. The Aegis missile defence system (Aegis Ashore Ballistic Missile Defence System) was not, and is not, in violation of the INF Treaty. The US State Department issued a detailed rebuttal of Russian allegations of US noncompliance with the INF Treaty in 2018. According to the U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa (2016): the Aegis Ashore Missile Defence System is part of the European Phased Adapted Approach, designed to protect European NATO allies, and U.S. deployed forces in the region, against current and emerging ballistic threats from the Middle East. U.S. Naval Forces ruled out the possibility of targeting the Russian Federation with the "Aegis Ashore" system. The Romanian Defence Minister Teodor Melescanu also reiterated on 7 February 2019 that "Aegis Ashore" is a strictly defensive system. The missile defence stations, also known as "Aegis Ashore", are technically based on the Mk41 launchers (in accordance with the INF Treaty) used on ships, which can also launch cruise missiles. According to the US government they are modified that they can only launch defence missiles and not offensive ground-to-ground missiles, concludes the Research Services of the German Bundestag in 2018 (P.2, in German).