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Russia Doesn’t Fear U.S. Defense Shield, Commander-In-Chief Says
NATO’s missile defense system in Eastern Europe is of no threat to Russia, Air Force Commander-In-Chief Army General Vladimir Mikhailov told reporters today. These systems “are not the attacking ones,” commander-in-chief said.
”The cost of these systems is of higher political weight than of actual military one. They are stationary, we will accurately determine them by coordinates, so we don’t have to fear them,” Mikhailov assured.
“If there is money and plenty of it, let them deploy,” Mikhailov said. “Inviting us to visit these facilities is more for political purposes as well, to show once again they [in the United States] deploy the missile defense systems in bona fide intention and are ready to show [them] to this or that extent.”
But despite all surety of Mikhailov, the U.S. plans to expand missile defense system to Eastern Europe have raised concerns in Russia. Implementation of the U.S. global missile defense program couldn’t be considered independently, as a purely defensive action, said Vitaly Churkin, who is Russia’s envoy to the United Nations. Moscow will possibly set to building up strategic weapons in response to deploying the U.S. interceptors and radar close to Russia’s border, according to Churkin.
The need to create such missile defense shield calls for comprehensive deliberations and Russia stands ready to take part in discussion in any form and on any level, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov specified.
www.kommersant.com
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