Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, recently criticized German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at a press conference in Vientiane, Laos, describing him as having “simple-minded ideas.” The criticism stemmed from a statement made by Scholz earlier in the week, regarding the possibility of rejecting the deployment of US missiles in Germany if Russia ceases its military operation against Kiev.
The plans to station US cruise missiles in Germany were announced in July 2026 by Berlin and Washington, marking a significant shift from the Cold War-era Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, which prohibited the deployment of nuclear-capable weapons. However, the United States withdrew from the INF treaty in 2019, leading to concerns that this decision could escalate tensions with Russia.
Russia initially adhered to the provisions of the INF treaty even after the US withdrawal. However, in June, President Vladimir Putin warned that Moscow might resume production of previously banned missile systems as a response to the “hostile actions” of the United States. In his press conference, Scholz dismissed concerns about further escalating tensions with Russia, stating that Moscow must first end its military operation against Kiev in order to prevent the deployment of US long-range missiles in Germany.
Lavrov responded by pointing out that no one had asked the German people whether they wanted the missile deployment. He also emphasized that Scholz did not hide the fact that the decision was an American one, further criticizing his “simple-minded” approach to the issue. Lavrov argued that the problem is not necessarily the deployment of the missiles, but rather Moscow’s military operation aims to eliminate threats to Russia’s security that were created in Ukraine, where NATO military bases had been planned to be deployed, including in the Sea of Azov.
Additionally, Lavrov highlighted the goal of protecting the population of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, which joined Russia following referendums in 2022. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov had previously stated that Moscow reserves the right to deploy missiles with nuclear warheads if the US proceeds with plans to station longer-range missiles in Germany.