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U.S. to Station Missile Defense Shield in Europe Despite Russia’s Opposition
The United States will station parts of its missile defense system in Europe despite Russia’s objections, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for European & NATO Policy Daniel Fata said during the spring session of NATO Parliamentary Assembly held in Portugal.
Negotiations with Poland and Czechia will be finalized by late 2008. Stationing will complete and the missile defense system put into standby alert by 2013, Daniel Fata said, specifying they will do it despite Russia’s objections, as the facilities are aimed at countering the threat, which they regard the key one.
For NATO, the key threat is Iran along with its ballistic missile research. The forecast of Pentagon is that Tehran that has only the middle-range missiles now will get first intercontinental missiles by 2015. Moreover, roughly 20 states are moving in the same direction, the Pentagon analysts claim.
The U.S. missile defense system should be of no trouble to Russia, as it doesn't threaten it and will hardly trigger a new wave of the arms race, according to Fata.
Czechia and Poland are ready to host the U.S. radar and interceptors. The standing of Moscow remains negative. The plans to station missile defense system close to Russia’s border pose a threat to the country, General Staff Chief Army General Yury Baluevsky confirmed in Brussels May 10 after the sitting of Russia-NATO Council.
www.kommersant.com
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