Moscow fires warning shot across bow of US naval-based ABM
A top Russian official says a US missile defense system near Russia’s border is strategically destabilizing and may prompt an arms race.
RT,
17
December, 2012
Speaking
on the threat of mobile, naval-based elements of the US missile
defense system “suddenly
appearing” on
Russia’s coastline, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said such
an event would trigger “the
harshest reaction from Russia."
"We
must consider the effective protection of our strategic nuclear
forces," Rogozin
said in an interview with the magazine Voyenny Parade (‘Military
Parade’).
Rogozin,
while not elaborating on what Russia’s response would be, noted
that Russia is taking definite steps to counter American
ships “equipped
with the Aegis integrated naval weapons system.”
Russia
has warned its US and NATO partners on numerous occasions that unless
the two sides can reach an acceptable agreement over NATO plans to
unilaterally build a missile defense shield in Eastern Europe,
another arms race is inevitable.
Ironically,
it was US President Barack Obama – the same American leader who
pushed for a “reset” with Moscow – who introduced the current
missile defense plans that may include stationing Aegis missiles
aboard US warships in the Black Sea.
Washington
says the missile defense system, which is capable of intercepting
short- to intermediate-range ballistic missiles, is vital for
protecting Eastern Europe from “rogue states,” like Iran and
North Korea. At the same time, however, the western military alliance
ignores Moscow’s concern the strategic balance may be upset. In
fact, NATO even refuses to provide Moscow with written, legal
guarantees that the system will not in the future target Russian
territory.
Judging
by Rogozin’s strong words, it seems that another arms race has
already begun.
"U.S.
missile defense in its current form is obviously destabilizing and
prompting an arms race between Russia and the U.S. and NATO," Rogozin
noted.
Russia
is considering ways of “suppressing
and penetrating” the
missile defense system in ways that will guarantee“unacceptable
damage to any aggressor, and force it to resist the temptation to
test Russia's strength,” the
Deputy Prime Minister added.
Rogozin,
who served in a previous capacity as Russia’s NATO envoy, explained
his use of blunt language.
"We
must be frank about this. I was the Russian envoy to NATO for four
years and I know what language they understand best of all," he
said.
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