Germany cautions US not to split Europe with shield
Berlin,
Mar
18:
Germany
sent
a
thinly
veiled
warning
to
the
United
States
not
to
try
to
split
Europe
into
''old''
and
''new''
with
its
plans
to
deploy
parts
of
an
anti-missile
defence
system
in
Poland
and
the
Czech
Republic.
In
some
of
the
strongest
German
rhetoric
to
date
on
the
issue,
Foreign
Minister
Frank-Walter
Steinmeier
said
yesterday
it
was
important
not
to
let
the
US
project
spark
a
new
arms
race
in
Europe
nearly
two
decades
after
the
end
of
the
Cold
War.
''A
missile
defence
system
should
be
neither
a
cause
or
pretext
for
a
new
arms
race,''
Steinmeier
wrote
in
a
contribution
to
the
Frankfurter
Allgemeine
Sonntagszeitung.
''Our
top
priority
remains
disarmament
and
not
an
arms
buildup.
We
don't
want
a
new
arms
race
in
Europe,''
he
said
in
remarks
provided
to
Reuters
ahead
of
publication
today.
Steinmeier,
who
is
due
to
meet
US
Secretary
of
State
Condoleezza
Rice
tomorrow
in
Washington
to
discuss
transatlantic
ties,
has
been
one
of
the
strongest
European
critics
of
Washington's
handling
of
the
missile
shield
plan.
Last
month
he
delivered
an
unusual
public
rebuke
to
Washington,
faulting
it
for
not
consulting
Russia
on
a
project
Moscow
sees
as
an
encroachment
on
its
former
sphere
of
influence
and
an
attempt
to
shift
the
post-Cold
War
balance
of
power.
US
officials
say
extensive
talks
with
Russia
took
place
and
the
shield
would
counter
threats
from
what
it
calls
''rogue
states''
such
as
Iran
and
not
pose
a
threat
to
Moscow.
Germany
is
concerned
the
issue
will
cloud
its
presidency
of
the
EU
by
highlighting
divisions
in
Europe
reminiscent
of
those
that
emerged
in
the
run-up
to
the
US-led
Iraq
war
in
2003.
At
that
time,
Poland,
Britain
and
others
backed
the
US-led
invasion
while
Germany,
France
and
others
opposed
it.
Former
US
Defense
Secretary
Donald
Rumsfeld
famously
dismissed
European
countries
opposed
to
the
war
as
''old
Europe''.
NO
''OLD''
AND
''NEW''
''There
is
no
'old'
and
'new'
Europe
and
nobody
should
try,
based
on
calculated
short-term
interests,
to
create
such
a
split,''
Steinmeier
said
in
remarks
that
appeared
aimed
at
Washington.
''NATO
is
the
right
forum
for
this
discussion.
The
goal
of
the
debate
must
be
a
common
solution
that
does
not
provoke
anyone.''
German
Chancellor
Angela
Merkel
was
in
Poland
on
Friday
and
Saturday
to
press
its
leaders
to
back
a
broader
discussion
on
the
missile
shield
within
NATO.
A
source
within
the
German
delegation
told
Reuters
the
Polish
government
appeared
to
be
open
to
the
idea.
In
recent
weeks,
Polish
officials
have
said
Warsaw
needs
a
bilateral
security
pact
with
Washington
because
NATO
lacks
the
resolve
to
counter
serious
threats
like
those
which
could
arise
from
countries
such
as
Iran
and
North
Korea.
Reuters