Russia warns Poles and Czechs over US missile defence system

RUSSIA: Russia has warned Poland and the Czech Republic that they will be potential targets of Russian missiles if they agree…

RUSSIA:Russia has warned Poland and the Czech Republic that they will be potential targets of Russian missiles if they agree to host elements of a new US missile defence system, writes Derek Scally.

Polish and Czech leaders have indicated they will participate in the US project, which would see 10 missiles deployed to Poland and a radar station built in the Czech Republic by 2012.

A top Russian general has said that, should the plan proceed, Moscow could withdraw from a 1987 treaty limiting short- and medium-range missiles in Europe.

Gen Nikolai Solovtsov, commander of Russia's strategic missile forces, said Russia would then be "capable of targeting these systems" in the Czech Republic and Poland.

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Polish prime minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski described Gen Solovtsov's remarks yesterday as "an attempt at intimidation". Mr Kaczynski said he wanted to dash once and for all "Russia's hopes that Poland will once again come under its sphere of influence".

"Following the deployment of a missile defence base here, the chances of such undue influence arising will be greatly reduced for at least several decades," he said.

Czech foreign minister Karel Schwarzenberg said that after Gen Solovtsov's remarks "Czechs will now think the shield is even more necessary".

Nato dismissed Solovtsov's "extreme language" as "uncalled for".

Russia sees the missiles as a threat against its territory and President Vladimir Putin has accused the US of provoking a new arms race with the plan.

In a rare criticism of Washington, German foreign minister Frank Walter Steinmeier has suggested Russia's criticisms are justified.

"One should have spoken with Russia earlier as the sites where [ the missiles] are to be stationed are edging closer to Russia," Mr Steinmeier said in a newspaper interview.

"Given the strategic nature of such projects, I call for a prudent approach and intensive dialogue with all partners who are directly or indirectly affected."

He rejected Washington's claims that the missile system is to protect the US against North Korea and Iran, suggesting those states were beyond the range of missiles to be deployed in Poland.

Former Slovakian prime minister Jan Carnogursky rowed into the row yesterday, suggesting the missile defence system violated verbal agreements the US gave to the Soviet Union not to bring Nato installations to Russia's borders.

Polish prime minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski said yesterday: "The government, the president and myself are in favour of the anti-missile shield."

But some 55 per cent of Poles are opposed to the system, according to a new opinion poll conducted by the Polish Centre of Public Opinion (CBOS). Just 28 per cent support the idea, a drop of seven percentage points on the previous poll in June.

A large number of Czechs also oppose the plan, sharing Polish concerns about an increased risk of terrorist attacks and the worsening of relations with Russia.