Global Security Newswire, 2 Nov 2011.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday warned the nation could pursue actions of "a technically military nature" should its concerns with a NATO initiative to establish a European missile shield go unaddressed, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Oct. 31).

"If our partners in the future continue to ignore our position we should protect our interests by other means," Lavrov said in an interview with the Serbian newspaper Vecernje Novosti. "Concrete measures might be needed ... a response of a technically military nature."

"We would not wish such a development," he continued.

Russia says it fears the NATO missile shield will be secretly aimed at its long-range nuclear forces. Moscow has said it cannot accept an agreement on missile defense collaboration with NATO without a legally binding pledge on the targeting issue. The sides also remain at odds over the makeup of a potential joint shield -- Russia wants a combined system in which it and NATO assume responsibility for eliminating missiles traveling over specific geographical regions, while the alliance favors two separate but connected operations.

The two sides have failed to find common ground in nearly a year of negotiations.

Moscow earlier warned it would expand its nuclear arsenal if it cannot reach agreement with NATO and the United States, which has already reached agreements for Romania and other NATO states to host elements of the planned missile shield.

"I am forced to conclude that the signing of the deal (between Bucharest and Washington) is an additional link in a chain of events that shows that the U.S. [is] stepping up their plans to construct their missile shield without taking into account Russia's concerns," Russia's foreign policy chief said (Agence France-Presse/Spacewar.com, Nov. 1).

NATO Parliamentary Assembly President Karl Lamers on Tuesday said the alliance does not think it necessary to provide a binding pledge as Moscow has been asked to play a role in the establishment of the missile shield, Interfax reported.

Lamers reaffirmed NATO's stance that Russia should play a collaborative role in creating the shield (Interfax, Nov. 1).

Back