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Russia blasts US for pushing to deploy missile defense in Poland

Published time: March 05, 2011 08:22
Edited time: March 05, 2011 14:02
F 16 Falcon

Moscow has demanded an explanation from the US about its plans to station an air force base with F-16 fighters and build a missile defense system in Poland.

US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton has confirmed Washington’s intention to deploy a rotating US squadron of F-16s in Poland. Last December, leaders of the two countries announced the plans to establish a new permanent US air detachment. The US also intends to “build missile defenses in Poland,” Clinton said after talks with Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski.

The previous administration of President George Bush was planning to deploy elements of its missile defense shield in Poland and the Czech Republic. President Barack Obama scrapped the plans, but nevertheless promised to expand co-operation with Poland in missile defense and air defense areas.

Clinton made it clear that NATO countries support the new US plans regarding Poland. However, Russia will oppose any moves to deploy air detachments in that country. Washington and Warsaw are continuing military co-operation “despite their reset of the relations with Russia that took place last year,” Kommersant daily said, citing Russian diplomats.

It is not known when Washington will start deploying the squadron of F-16s. But the plan will complicate US talks with Russia about the creation of a joint European missile shield, Moscow’s envoy to NATO Dmitry Rogozin said. Even now the prospects of such talks do not look bright, he told the paper.

President Dmitry Medvedev and US Vice President Joseph Biden may discuss the deployment of F-16s on March 9. Anyway, the issue “will not be left without Russia's most close attention,” Rogozin warned.

The idea of deploying an air base in Poland was first mentioned by US military officials in March 2009. However, the White House did not announce the plans until quite recently.

Clinton’s statement runs counter to the Founding Act on Mutual Relations, Cooperation and Security between NATO and Russia signed in 1997, Rogozin told Interfax on Friday. The document emphasizes the alliance’s commitment to exercise restraint on strengthening its military infrastructure near Russia’s borders, he said.

Moscow has become seriously concerned over Clinton’s statement, a source in the Russian Foreign Ministry told Kommersant. “The plans on missile defense are not new, we know them and intend to discuss them as part of our European missile defense project,” he said. “But the idea of the air base requires additional explanation.”

Comments (36)

Jean-Claude Meslin 13.03.2011 10:08

The covering of events like peoples in Tripoli living normally or what is happening in Japan with those nuclear reactors is not the same in Paris or New-York, as it is in Moscow. Now with Internet it is not so easy to cheat. It still happen. For instance: Yesterday (for 24h) I could not watch RT (on air) (rather strange). Also, when I comment on french medias, I am often censured (this is no joke !).
Mr Biden did a wonderfull job as buttering you up to make your leaders (mostly Mr Medvedev) to go along with America imperialist way and money' slavery.
When will Russia ask those US creeps to prove their honesty and sincerity: for instance by closing all military installations surrounding your country; or destroying all of Afghanistan poppy-
fields...S upposantly Gadhafy has lost 30 billions $ in America. I do not particularely appreciate that man, but if I was him; not a single liter of oil will go to Europe and war-monger like Sarkozy will go buy their oil and gas in Alaska...By acting as they do Russian leaders do not do Humanity a favor. That crazy imperialist propaganda and money' slavery has to stop and your country inside the BRIC has the tools to make it stop.(Example: suggesting and practicing boycott as the US do so well). The more we wait, the worse it will be. Sorry Future Generations; that is all that I can do for you today. I need help !
Jean-Claude Meslin Le Rescapé de la Bombe d'In-Ekker (01-05-1962)  

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Jean-Claude Meslin 12.03.2011 13:15

I congratulate RT for her excellent coverage of the nuclear accident from Japan. Comparatively, the french media minimaze at the maximum the event to protect her huge nuclear industry.
The american have a formula called the Murphy-Law: Everything which can go wrong at one time will go wrong. Nuclear dependency is no exception. Frenchs ignore that nuclear fusion of that reactor can happen and that it is a lot bigger that the Tchernobyl's one which did not melt-down.  Jean-Claude Meslin Le Rescapé de la Bombe d'In-Ekker (under-ground nuclear experiment failling on May 1st 1962)

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Jean-Claude Meslin 11.03.2011 21:02

Zi-zenn is absolutely right. It seems to me that the russian leadership (mostly Mr Medvedev) has adopted the american way to do business and fool his own people. Moscow is proud to have the world record number of billionaires to make people dream to equal those crooks. Russia seems to take the road of a very cynical and inhuman capitalistic system. There is an other way and the whole world is crying for it (including the american people). Wake up russians and ask Mr Putin to take back the presidency and expose the facts. As I explained before, Mr Medvedev could have a plan of his own; but so far it does not look like he does anything else than binding over to all of Obama's wishes. Best Regards...
Jean-C laude Meslin  Le Rescapé de la Bombe

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