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U.S. Missile-Defense Initiatives Are Amorphous, Lack Definiteness
The U.S. initiatives targeted at easing Russia’s concerns triggered by deployment of the U.S. missile defense shield in the Czech Republic and Poland are amorphous and lack definiteness, said Lieutenant General Evgeny Buzhinsky, chief of the international department at the RF Defense Ministry.
“They [the initiatives] have been worded to enable the Americans to unilaterally abandon them anytime. Besides, these proposals have been decorated by a number of conditions that are admittedly unacceptable for us,” Buzhinsky said in the interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper.
The adequacy of Russia’s response is yet unclear, the official explained. “In the document proposed by the Americans, there is no word about the actions that Russia would be entitled to make should the United States decide to deploy another position site of missile defense in Europe, increase the number of counter-missiles or arm them by lots of intercepting stages. Supposing that, in response to this notification, we will abandon the second strike for reasons of gratitude would be naive,” the general specified.
Another sign of the U.S. transparency is the conditions for Russia’s experts’ access to the missile-defense sites in Poland and the Czech Republic. “Washington advises us to settle this issue with the Poles and the Czech, pressing, at the same time, for the chance for their visits to similar facilities of Russia. The so-called addition of this kind turns a reasonable initiative into a useless action,” Buzhinsky said.
Regardless, Russia hasn’t abandoned the dialogue. “We stand for the need of international monitoring over the missiles’ tests. The first step en route could be a regional system of monitoring the missile launches from Near and Middle East. To ensure the information support of this task, Russia has proposed to use the data of its radio stations in Gabala and Armavir,” the general reminded.
www.kommersant.com
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