Russia Praises Obama over Europe Missile Defense Decision

Bulgaria in EU | September 18, 2009, Friday // 11:57|  views

Bush's successor President Barack Obama, who has tried to "reset" relations with Russia, launched a review of the controversial system after taking office earlier this year. Photo by EPA/BGNES

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has welcomed as "positive" the US decision to shelve controversial missile defense bases in Poland and the Czech Republic.

Medvedev said there were now "good conditions" for US-Russia talks on tackling missile proliferation, the BBC reported.

US President Barack Obama had earlier announced there would be a shift in US missile defence strategy, following a review of the threat posed by Iran.

However, US Republicans have called the move "short-sighted" and "harmful".

Russia had long objected to plans pursued by the administration of former-President George W Bush to base a missile interceptor system close to its borders, calling it a threat to its security. Bush had argued the system was to defend against missiles from "rogue states" like Iran.

Obama ordered a review on taking office earlier this year. On Thursday he said that new intelligence had shown Iran was pursuing short-range and medium-range missile development, rather than long-range.

In an address on Russian television, Medvedev said Obama was "correcting" the US approach to missile defence.

Medvedev said that he and Obama had in earlier meetings expressed the need to work together to assess the risks of missile proliferation.

"The statement made in Washington today shows that quite good conditions are evolving for such work," Medvedev said.

The missile shield in question was first confirmed in August 2008, when the US signed a deal with Poland to site 10 interceptors at a base near the Baltic Sea, and with the Czech Republic to build a radar station on its territory.

On Thursday Mr Obama said the review he had ordered had shown the threat from Iran had altered.

There was now a need for a more flexible approach to provide "a stronger, smarter and swifter defence" of US and allied forces in Europe.

Defence Secretary Robert Gates said the first phase of the new strategy would be to deploy "current and proven missile defence systems in the next two years", including the sea-based Aegis and SM-3 interceptors.

Proven defence systems will be based first on warships and then on land, and will be upgraded over the next decade, he says.

Gates stressed the US was not abandoning missile defence of Europe.

 

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Tags: Obama, shield, missile, Medvedev, Poland, Czech Republic

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