The US State Department reacted on July 18 to Russia’s chilling nuclear warning over its plan to deploy long-range missiles in Germany in 2026. The US State Department’s principal deputy spokesperson, Vedant Patel, said, “Any kind of rhetoric about the use or deployment of nuclear warheads is of course concerning and something we will pay close attention to.” Patel’s reaction came after Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov stated on July 18 that “no options are ruled out,” including nuclear options, in response to US missile deployments in Germany.