Moscow, Russia - US plans to station long-range missiles in Germany will lead to a Cold War-style confrontation between Russia and the West, the Kremlin warned angrily.

The White House announced the decision on Wednesday during a NATO summit in Washington, arguing the stationing of long-range weapons including Tomahawk cruise missiles in Europe acts as a deterrent.

"We are taking steady steps towards the Cold War," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a state TV reporter.

"All the attributes of the Cold War with the direct confrontation are returning," he said.

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He insisted that Washington's decision only gave Russia "a reason to pull together" and "fulfil all the goals" of war on Ukraine.

NATO countries, spearheaded by the US, have bolstered their military posture in Europe in the wake of Russia's 2022 offensive against neighboring Ukraine.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hailed the planned deployment of the US weapons in his country, calling the move a "necessary and important decision at the right time."

But fears of a direct clash with Russia that would spark a wider conflict are growing, and the Kremlin warned Friday that lifting any limitation on Ukraine's use of Western weapons would be a "dangerous escalation."

President Joe Biden in May gave Kyiv permission to use US weapons against targets on Russian territory if attacks on Ukraine are being launched from there, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky want all conditions scrapped.