Germany chides US move on anti-missile shield

BERLIN, Feb 18 (Reuters) German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier today criticised the United States in a rare public rebuke for failing to inform Russia of an offer to build an anti-missile base on Polish soil.

In an interview to appear in tomorrow's Handelsblatt daily, Steinmeier said it was vital to keep all partners fully informed due to the sensitive nature of the project.

''Because the sites for the stationing are quite near Russia, one should have talked about it with Russia beforehand,'' Steinmeier said in remarks released ahead of publication.

''In view of the strategic nature of this sort of project, I urge one to act with caution and to engage in an intensive dialogue with all the partners directly and indirectly involved,'' he added.

Steinmeier, a leader in the Social Democrats (SPD), was chief of staff under former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder -- a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and an outspoken opponent of the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq.

The United States has asked Poland and the neighbouring Czech Republic to host elements of its multi-billion dollar global defence system designed to counter missiles potentially fired by what Washington calls rogue states.

The Polish base would supplement existing missile-shield installations in the US states of Alaska and California and intercept hostile missiles from the West Asia.

Russia has threatened to install medium-range ballistic missiles in its Baltic Kaliningrad region neighbouring northern Poland if Warsaw agrees to host the US base in its territory.

New Polish Defence Minister Aleksander Szczyglo said on Sunday Poland would reply within two weeks to the US offer.

Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski favours the anti-missile shield saying it would bring Poland greater security. But public opinion is divided and misgivings have emerged in his ruling coalition.

In Berlin, the parliamentary floor leader of the opposition Greens party Fritz Kuhn said the US plans had not been discussed with NATO.

''What the United States is doing can only be seen in Russia as a provocation,'' Kuhn said in an interview with the Saarbruecker Zeitung newspaper.

Reuters PKS VP0105