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WARSAW (Reuters): Russia has nothing to fear from a planned U.S. anti-missile system in central Europe, NATO Supreme Allied Commander John Craddock said on Friday.
Russia opposes placing elements of the U.S. project in its former satellites, Poland and the Czech Republic, saying it would distort the post-Cold War balance of power in Europe.
Asked at a news conference in Warsaw whether Russia was right to be concerned, Craddock said: “Absolutely not. This missile shield will provide security from attacks from rogue regimes and that's clearly what it's meant for.”
The anti-missile system would combine long-range radar and rockets to detect and shoot down missiles carrying nuclear, bacteriological or chemical warheads. Both Poland and Czech Republic are considering hosting parts of it.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said plans to put parts of the shield in ex-communist Europe are a “serious factor provoking reduced mutual trust”.
In a speech on Feb. 10, he denounced NATO's incorporating nations from Russia's former old sphere of influence such as Poland, Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Estonia.
Craddock said Putin had nothing to fear.
“All 26 members are democratic countries,” he said. “So expansion closer to Russia's borders cannot be a threat. I cannot understand why it should be feared.”
Most western European leaders have kept silent on the subject of the U.S. missile shield, which Washington insists is not aimed to weaken Russia's security but to protect it and Europe.
Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski said on Thursday he favoured hosting part of the system in Poland.
