U.S. would destroy banned Russian warheads if necessary - NATO envoy

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Ambassador to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison briefs the media ahead of a NATO defence ministers meeting at the Alliance headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, October 2, 2018. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir/File Photo

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Russia must halt its covert development of a banned cruise missile system or the United States will seek to destroy it before it becomes operational, Washington's envoy to NATO said on Tuesday.

The United States believes Russia is developing a ground-launched system in breach of a Cold War treaty that could allow Russia to launch a nuclear strike on Europe at short notice, but Moscow has consistently denied any such violation.