NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen offers to integrate NATO's missile defense system with Russia's, a day after US President Barack Obama announced his plan to shelve the USA's Eastern European rocket shield. "We want to explore the possibility of linking NATO's missile defense shield with Russia's, at an appropriate time in the future," Rasmussen said on Friday in Brussels, "I do believe that it is possible for NATO and Russia to make a new beginning and to enjoy a far more productive relationship in the future." He emphasized that neither the political nor the technological pre-conditions for the proposed fusion exist yet, but said his suggestion was meant to send "a clear political signal" to Moscow. The USA's decades-old intention to station defensive rockets in Poland and the Czech Republic has been a persistent strain on its relations with Russia, which had seen the plan as a direct threat.
"We want to explore the possibility of linking NATO's missile defense shield with Russia's, at an appropriate time in the future," Rasmussen said on Friday in Brussels, "I do believe that it is possible for NATO and Russia to make a new beginning and to enjoy a far more productive relationship in the future."
He emphasized that neither the political nor the technological pre-conditions for the proposed fusion exist yet, but said his suggestion was meant to send "a clear political signal" to Moscow.
The USA's decades-old intention to station defensive rockets in Poland and the Czech Republic has been a persistent strain on its relations with Russia, which had seen the plan as a direct threat.
Putin proposed to U.S. President George W. Bush on June 7 that Washington use the Russian-controlled Qabala (Gabala) radar station in Azerbaijan. At his press conference today, Putin also said Russia is prepared to share information from the Qabala radar station with the United States military. "In that case, there will be no need to build a new radar station in the Czech Republic or deploy antimissile systems in Poland," Putin said. "They could be deployed in the south. I'm speaking hypothetically now as this would have to be negotiated with the countries concerned, but those countries could be the United States' NATO allies, for example Turkey or even Iraq -- why did you fight after all? At least some good would come out of it. Antimissile systems could also be placed on sea platforms or navy vessels."
Putin proposed to U.S. President George W. Bush on June 7 that Washington use the Russian-controlled Qabala (Gabala) radar station in Azerbaijan. At his press conference today, Putin also said Russia is prepared to share information from the Qabala radar station with the United States military.
"In that case, there will be no need to build a new radar station in the Czech Republic or deploy antimissile systems in Poland," Putin said. "They could be deployed in the south. I'm speaking hypothetically now as this would have to be negotiated with the countries concerned, but those countries could be the United States' NATO allies, for example Turkey or even Iraq -- why did you fight after all? At least some good would come out of it. Antimissile systems could also be placed on sea platforms or navy vessels."
