President Bush (L) shakes hands with
President of Russia Vladimir Putin at the G8 summit in Heiligendamm June
7, 2007. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
WASHINGTON,
June 10 (Xinhua) -- The United States is "encouraged" by Russia's willingness to
discuss missile defense system, White House spokesman Tony Snow said Sunday.
"Frankly, we are encouraged by the fact that the
Russians now are talking about figuring out a way to provide a missile shield
that will discourage rogue regimes from loading nukes onto missiles and aiming
them," Snow said on Fox News.
The Bush administration has been defending its
planned missile defense shield, which, it says, is intended to protect against a
potential Iranian threat.
Speaking after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
called for a freeze to the U.S. shield foreseen for eastern Europe, Snow noted
that "deployment is something that's not going to take place for a while. What
we're talking about is the best way to protect Europe."
Moscow is angered at the U.S. plan to deploy missile
interceptors in Poland and radar units in the Czech Republic as part of a
project to extend the missile defense system in Europe.
Washington insists that the deployment of the system
is aimed at preventing attacks from rogue states, not Russia.
Bush and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin
focused on the issue during their meeting last week at the Group of Eight
summit. They will come up again when Putin visits the Bush family compound in
Kennebunkport, Maine, on July 1-2.
MOSCOW, June 9 (Xinhua) -- Russia called on the United
States to stop creating an anti-ballistic missile defense system in Europe
before the two nations negotiate on the joint use of an Azeri radar system,
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday.
"There must be a freeze on the deployment of missile
defense facilities in Europe for the whole period of analysis and negotiations,"
Lavrov was quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency as saying. Full story
MOSCOW, June 9 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov said Saturday that the missile defense system the U.S. plans to build in
the Czech Republic and Poland could worsen the Iranian nuclear stand-off. Full story
HEILIGENDAMM, Germany, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Russian
President Vladimir Putin promised his U.S. counterpart George W. Bush here
Thursday that Moscow would not oppose a U.S. plan of a radar-based missile
defense system in Europe if it was deployed in Azerbaijan instead of Central
Europe. Full story
BRUSSELS, June 8 (Xinhua) -- NATO Secretary-General Jaap
de Hoop Scheffer responded cautiously on Friday to Russia' offer for the United
States to use a Russian-controlled radar in Azerbaijan for a missile defense
shield. Full story
WARSAW, June 5 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. plans to base elements
of the anti-missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic should be
decided at the NATO and EU forum, visiting head of the European Parliament
Hans-Gert Poettering said on Tuesday. Full story
BEIJING, June 5 (Xinhua) -- China said on Tuesday that a
U.S. plan to deploy a missile defense shield in Eastern Europe may cause new
weapon proliferation problems. Full story
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