DUSHANBE
, July 16, Asia-Plus – Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday that the placement of a
U.S.
missile shield in
Europe
will harm regional security.
“The placement of elements of a
U.S.
global missile shield in Eastern Europe will only aggravate the situation,” Medvedev said at a meeting with senior Russian diplomats in
Moscow
.
Moscow
has strongly opposed the possible deployment by the
U.S.
of 10 interceptor missiles in
Poland
and an accompanying radar in the
Czech
Republic
as a threat to its security and international nuclear deterrence.
Washington
says the defenses are needed to deter a possible strike from
Iran
.
During their visit to
Moscow
in late March, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice offered to let
Russia
monitor the proposed
U.S.
missile and radar bases in
Central Europe
in order to allay Russian concerns.
Washington
has also offered not to activate the system until there is a “clear and present” threat from
Iran
or other potential adversaries.
But
Russia
said the
U.S.
proposals were vague and nontransparent.
“Security cannot be based on word of honor alone,” Medvedev reiterated on Tuesday.
On an official visit to
Germany
in early June, he called for a legally binding European security treaty to be signed at a pan-European conference.
Medvedev said any new security arrangements should be based on “pure” national interests, not skewed by ideological motives. He added that “organizations operating in the Euro-Atlantic region” should also have the opportunity to join.
