Russia says will not work with US on missile shield
MOSCOW, May 23 (Reuters) Russia has no intention of cooperating with the United States in its plans for a missile defence shield in Europe, First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said today.
''We are not going to cooperate against ourselves,'' he told a news conference. ''We do not like the explanation (given by the United States for having the system).'' ''We believe a bilateral decision has already been made between the United States and the Czech Republic, and the United States and Poland,'' said Ivanov, who has overall charge of Russia's defence sector.
The United States says the shield is needed to protect against missile attacks from what it calls rogue states such as Iran and North Korea.
It wants to place elements of the shield in Poland and the Czech Republic but Russia has denounced the project as a threat to its national security.
US Defense Secretary Robert Gates, on a visit to Moscow last month to soften Russian opposition to the plan, offered Moscow the opportunity to cooperate on strategic missile defence.
''As to the strategic part of the missile defence shield, the talk about cooperation is just discussions to calm public opinion in Europe,'' Ivanov said.
US arguments that the shield would help defend against rogue states were not credible, he added.
''From
the
point
of
the
view
of
trajectory
and
ballistics,
the
explanation
of
Iran
or
North
Korea
cannot
be
accepted
on
the
serious,
expert
level.
You
can
say
what
you
want
but
I
am
telling
you
the
view
of
experts.''
REUTERS
RJ
RK1650