Medvedev warns US over missile shield plan

Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s President, warned in November 2011 that a failure by the US to take into account Russian objections to a planned Nato anti-missile shield would spark a new arms race and derail efforts to improve frosty relations between Washington and Moscow.

Accusing the US and its allies of ignoring the Kremlin’s concerns, he repeated on the 23 November 2011 a threat made in 2007 to deploy cruise missiles in Russia’s westernmost enclave of Kaliningrad, aimed at Nato missile interceptor batteries.

NATO responded by saying that 'NATO's missile defence system ... is designed to defend against threats emanating from outside Europe and is not designed to alter the balance of deterrence'.

BBC News, 23.11.11: Russia in Europe missile threat http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15857431

NATO: Press Release, 23.11.11: Statement by the NATO Secretary General on Missile Defence http://www.nato.int/cps/en/SID-1933AA9C-6301215F/natolive/news_81198.htm

BBC News, 20.11.10: Russia 'to work with Nato on missile defence shield' http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11803931

Deutsche Welle, 23.11.11: Russian threats 'will not deter' US and NATO missile shield http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15553574,00.html

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