Terrorism & Security

Russia balks at NATO's revised plans for missile defense shield

NATO's revised plans for a missile defense shield to protect against Iran are likely to top today's NATO-Russia meeting.

By Tom A. Peter, Correspondent / December 8, 2011

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov holds a press conference during the NATO foreign ministers annual gathering, at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, Dec. 8. Russia and NATO remain deadlocked on a long-running dispute over the alliance's plan for a missile shield for Europe, officials said Thursday, and Russia warned that time was running out for an agreement.

J. Scott Applewhite/AP

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As Europe and the US grow increasingly concerned about the threat of Iranian nuclear weapons, Russia is taking a firm stance against one of the West's key plans for defending itself: a European missile defense shield. The issue is likely to be at the top of the agenda for a meeting of the NATO-Russian Council in Brussels today.

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Officials from the NATO military alliance say the system is necessary to protect against threats like Iran and say they have sought Russian cooperation and participation. But Russian officials contend that such a shield could threaten its strategic nuclear forces and risk triggering a new arms race. Moscow is now threatening to withdraw from the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) and deploy ballistic missiles along the border of Europe as a countermeasure.

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“NATO's position is clear. We need missile defense for our own security," said NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, seeking to dispel Russia's fears. "We believe our defenses would be more effective if we cooperate.”

President Obama had previously scrapped plans for a similar shield in September 2009 due to strong Russian objections, Reuters reports, and the revised version NATO is now floating appears to be no more palatable for Moscow.

As frustration mounts among NATO officials, Russians have countered that the West does not understand their position. Alexei Arbatov from the Center for International Security told the Voice of Russia that his nation wants its interests taken into consideration and written guarantees that Europe will reconsider the missile defense system if the Iran nuclear threat diminishes.