WASHINGTON, May 23 (Xinhua) -- The United States said Wednesday that a planned missile defense shield in Eastern Europe will pose no threat to Russia and wants to work with Russia on the issue.

    "The U.S. missile defense systems are not a threat to Russia. They're not a threat to anyone, save those rogue regimes that might want to try and take a limited attack on either Russia or the United States or any of our transatlantic partners," State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey said at a briefing.

    U.S. Secretary of Defense Roberts Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice have visited Moscow to discuss the issue, Casey said.

    "We want the Russians to work with us on missile defense. We believe there's a common threat out there. I think Russia is just as threatened by the idea of a nuclear missile of any kind coming from Iran or from other states as the United States is," he said.

    Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized the missile defense system earlier Wednesday, saying it is "totally counterproductive."

    The United States has claimed the missile defense system is aimed against states and groups in the Middle East that are seeking weapons of mass destruction, not against Russia.

    The United States plans to base missile interceptors in Poland and radar units in the Czech Republic as part of a project to extend the missile defense system to Europe. Russia has voiced strong opposition over the plan.