Russia threatened by US missile defence plan - "Is this in Europe's Interest?"
The Pentagon yesterday dismissed Russian concerns that plans to expand the US’s missile defence shield into central and eastern Europe constituted “an obvious threat” to Russian interests.
Poland and the Czech Republic confirmed yesterday that the US has been discussing building missile interception bases in their countries similar to those the US has already established in Alaska and California. “This is not directed at the Russian Federation. It is not designed to counter Russian missiles. We do not see it that way” said a Pentagon spokesman. “Not at all.
However Lt Gen Vladimir Popovkin, the chief of Russia’s space forces, said the Kremlin doubted US arguments that the shield was purely a defensive measure. “Our analysis shows that the deployment of a radar station in the Czech Republic and a counter-missile position in Poland are an obvious threat to us. “It is very doubtful that elements of the national US missile defence system in Eastern Europe were aimed at Iranian missiles, as has been stated,” he said yesterday.
Note EU-Digest: Poland has to anticipate new tensions with the European Union, if Warsaw allows the deployment of an American anti-missile system on its territory, the online site of the German ARD television network cited a Polish member of the European Parliament as saying on Tuesday. Ryszard Czarnecki of the Sambroona (Self-Defense) Party warned that the joint US-Polish missile plans are viewed as a direct snub of the European Union. "The western European countries, especially Germany and France, are against this project. For Poland's political opponents, this will be another reason to say Poland is the Trojan horse of the US within Europe."
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