.Russia: Missile deployment depends on US moves
MOSCOW (AP) - Moscow will go ahead with its plan to station missiles near Poland only if the United States deploys missile defenses in Europe, a senior Russian diplomat said Sunday.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko, in remarks carried by the Interfax news agency, said if Washington halts its plans to deploy 10 missile interceptors in Poland and accompanying radar in the Czech Republic, Russia won't need to place short-range Iskander missiles in its western Kaliningrad region.
"These measures will only be implemented if the U.S. missile defense system is deployed," Grushko said, according to Interfax.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced plans to deploy the Iskander missiles on Wednesday, the day after Barack Obama won the U.S. presidential election.
The Iskander has a range of 280 kilometers (175 miles), which would allow it to reach targets in Poland but not in the Czech Republic - but officials say its range could be increased. Medvedev did not say whether the missiles would be fitted with conventional or nuclear warheads.
Russian officials have dismissed the U.S. assurances that the prospective missile defense sites are intended to counter a potential missile threat from Iran, saying they would erode Russia's nuclear deterrent.
The Bush administration on Thursday sent Russia a new set of proposals intended to assuage Russian concerns, but Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called them insufficient.
The U.S. proposals "fall short of the fundamental agreements that were reached earlier," Lavrov said after meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Saturday in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheik, where they both attended Mideast peace talks.
Lavrov signaled that any final agreement would come only with the new U.S. administration. He said statements by Obama "instill hope that we can examine these questions in a more constructive way," the RIA-Novosti news agency reported.
Also Sunday, Polish President Lech Kaczynski's office backtracked on his previous claim that Obama had promised Poland he would continue the Bush administration's multibillion-dollar missile defense shield.
Presidential aide Michal Kaminski said Obama "made no declaration on missile defense" but did not explain why Kaczynski had claimed Saturday that Obama told him "the missile defense project would continue."
MyWay
There you have it! If Obama submits to the Russian god given right to rule, they will promises to be kind masters.
Balls in your court Obama.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko, in remarks carried by the Interfax news agency, said if Washington halts its plans to deploy 10 missile interceptors in Poland and accompanying radar in the Czech Republic, Russia won't need to place short-range Iskander missiles in its western Kaliningrad region.
"These measures will only be implemented if the U.S. missile defense system is deployed," Grushko said, according to Interfax.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced plans to deploy the Iskander missiles on Wednesday, the day after Barack Obama won the U.S. presidential election.
The Iskander has a range of 280 kilometers (175 miles), which would allow it to reach targets in Poland but not in the Czech Republic - but officials say its range could be increased. Medvedev did not say whether the missiles would be fitted with conventional or nuclear warheads.
Russian officials have dismissed the U.S. assurances that the prospective missile defense sites are intended to counter a potential missile threat from Iran, saying they would erode Russia's nuclear deterrent.
The Bush administration on Thursday sent Russia a new set of proposals intended to assuage Russian concerns, but Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called them insufficient.
The U.S. proposals "fall short of the fundamental agreements that were reached earlier," Lavrov said after meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Saturday in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheik, where they both attended Mideast peace talks.
Lavrov signaled that any final agreement would come only with the new U.S. administration. He said statements by Obama "instill hope that we can examine these questions in a more constructive way," the RIA-Novosti news agency reported.
Also Sunday, Polish President Lech Kaczynski's office backtracked on his previous claim that Obama had promised Poland he would continue the Bush administration's multibillion-dollar missile defense shield.
Presidential aide Michal Kaminski said Obama "made no declaration on missile defense" but did not explain why Kaczynski had claimed Saturday that Obama told him "the missile defense project would continue."
MyWay
There you have it! If Obama submits to the Russian god given right to rule, they will promises to be kind masters.
Balls in your court Obama.
posted by madtom at 6:07 PM
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