US missile deployments in Asia would be threat to intl stability – Moscow

A possible United States’ deployment of missiles in the Asia-Pacific region would pose a threat to international security, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said earlier this month that he was in favor of placing ground-launched, intermediate-range missiles in Asia relatively soon, Reuters said.

Washington’s actions pose a threat to global stability, Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. “Clearly, it is only the first step, and in the future, the US may deploy such weapons to other regions of the world, including Europe.”

Backed by Beijing, Moscow has requested a United Nations Security Council briefing on the US development of intermediate-range missiles, according to Zakharova. The briefing will begin at 19:00 GMT, she added.