No remarks made by a Russian general will influence Polish-U.S. negotiations on a U.S. anti-missile shield, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Sunday in connection with a statement by a Russian Army Chief of Staff.
On Saturday Russian General Yuri Baluyevsky told a news conference in Moscow that "the firing of an anti-missile rocket from Poland could be seen by Russia's automated system as the launch of a ballistic missile, which could provoke a responsive strike."
Tusk described the statement as impermissible. "When I hear the words of a Russian general about an automatic reaction, that recalled the worst of times to me," Tusk said in an interview on TVN24 television on Sunday.
Polish Defense Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said earlier Poland would listen to Russia's arguments but would take its own decision on the missile shield.
"Poland has no nuclear potential, but Russia does. We will hear out their arguments, but our final decision will be a sovereign one," Polish news agency PAP quoted Sikorski as saying.
Russia is opposed to the U.S. plan to site up to 10 ground-based interceptor missiles in northern Poland and a radar facility in the Czech Republic to protect against attacks from what it calls "rogue states" such as Iran and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the plan could unleash a new arms race and might force Moscow to take retaliatory measures.
Poland has asked the United States for Patriot missiles or similar air protection to defend its cities if it is to host the anti-missile shield on its territory.
Source:Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article