Russia Encourges Quick Missile Defense Deal With United States

A deal with Washington to ease Moscow’s worries over U.S. missile defense plans in Europe still may be possible, but time is running out, Russia’s foreign minister stated Wednesday.

Sergey Lavrov declared that Moscow will retaliate if moves by Washington to deploy missile shield components around Europe pose a threat to Russia.

The U.S. said its planned missile shield is pointed at deflecting potential missile threats from Iran, but Russia is concerned that the missile shield will eventually grow powerful enough to undermine Russia’s nuclear deterrent.

Lavrov said that like any responsible state, they proceed not from declarations, but from concrete action when it comes to security issues. He added that their response will strictly correspond to the potential of the European component of the U.S. missile defense as it develops.

Moscow was in agreement in 2010 to consider NATO’s proposal to cooperate on the U.S.-led missile shield, but the talks have run into a deadlock over the way the system should be operated. Russia is insisting that it should be run jointly, which NATO is rejecting.

In a address to the nation in November that was televised, President Dmitry Medvedev was threatening to deploy missiles to the Kaliningrad region, bordering Poland and Lithuania, and to other areas of Russia to be pointed at U.S. missile defense sites, if the U.S. and NATO fail to reach a deal calming Russian fears. He encouraged the U.S. to provide specific and firm guarantees that its future missile defense potential will not be aimed against Russia.

Lavrov stated Wednesday that Russia is not looking for confrontation with the U.S. and does not believe that Washington is making a specific effort to erode Russia’s nuclear deterrent.

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Tags: Europe, kaliningrad region, lithuania, missile shield components, moscow, nato, nuclear deterrent, Poland, Russia, sergey lavrov, United States, us missile defense plans, washington