Russia

Putin's missile threat was "hypothetical" - Kremlin

(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-06-07 10:22

HEILIGENDAMM, Germany - Russian President Vladimir Putin's threat to target missiles at Europe was hypothetical and was just one of the options Russia is considering, a Kremlin aide said on Wednesday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin looks on during a Cabinet meeting in the Moscow Kremlin, Monday, June 4, 2007. [AP]

"It was not some kind of threatening statement on the part of Mr Putin. He was just asked by a journalist if he would be ready, hypothetically to consider re-targeting ... and he confirmed that that would be one of the ways Russia could respond," said Kremlin deputy spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Putin told reporters on Friday that Russia would return to its Cold War stance of pointing its missiles at targets in Europe if Washington goes ahead with the deployment of elements of a planned missile shield near Russia's borders.