Days before nuclear treaty, Russia asks US to end missile shield

Moscow - Days before the Russian and US presidents were to meet in Prague to sign an historic nuclear weapons treaty, Russia once again asked the US to forgo a controversial missile defense program in Eastern Europe, the Interfax news agency reported Tuesday.

The missile defense system - which the US says is designed to repel nuclear attacks from the Middle East, not Russia - has been a regular source of friction between the two countries in recent years.

"This one-sided plan does not add anything to the dialogue," said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, according to Interfax.

Last year, the White House scrapped plans to set up the system in Poland and the Czech Republic, briefly appeasing Russia. But a new version of the program slated to be built in Romania and Bulgaria has renewed the debate.

Russia sees a missile defense shield as a de facto unbalancing of nuclear strength, since it could weaken the effectiveness of Russia's remaining arsenal, even if the two countries do reduce their nuclear weapons stockpiles to similar levels, as envisioned under the treaty to be signed Thursday in Prague.

The Strategic Arms Reductions Treaty (START) would call on both countries to reduce their numbers of deployed strategic warheads to 1,550 apiece.

Lavrov said he expects the treaty to be ratified by parliaments in the US and Russia "by the end of April." The hope is that other countries will follow suit and reduce their level of nuclear weapons.

On Tuesday, Lavrov also called upon Washington to stop development work on conventional strategic offensive weapons. "This arsenal could destabilize the entire situation. This is a serious topic."

Lavrov is expected to travel to Prague for the signing ceremony between US President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. There, Lavrov is expected to meet with US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to discuss efforts to contain Iran's nuclear program.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/317274,days-before-nuclear-treaty-russia-asks-us-to-end-missile-shield.html.