WARSAW, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- The planned installation of a U.S. missile shield is of key importance to Poland, Polish President Lech Kaczynski said Wednesday in Nysa, southwest Poland, commenting rumors that the new U.S. Administration had changed itsmind about the project.

    The Russian news agency Interfax said Wednesday morning that Russia could resign plans to deploy Iskander missiles in its Kaliningrad enclave in return for America's withdrawal from shield plans in Poland and the Czech Republic.

    Quoting a Russian military source, Interfax said the Iskander program would be halted as the U.S. had "changed its policy" on the shield.

    Refusing to comment the reports, Kaczynski argued that they were only rumors. He admitted, however, that the shield was "of key importance to Poland."

    He also voiced regret that agreements on the project had not yet been fully finalized with the U.S., according to Polish news agency PAP.

    The Russian Defense Ministry later Wednesday called Interfax's claims "silly" as Russia had not yet launched the Iskander scheme and could therefore not halt it.

    According to a high-ranking Russian official, the Iskanders were to be deployed in Kaliningrad only if the shield in Poland and the Czech Republic were actually built.

    The U.S. and Poland formally signed in August last year an agreement to deploy parts of the U.S. global missile shield in the East European country.

    Russia objects the anti-missile shield plan, warning it will deploy a short-range missile system in its Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad bordering Poland, in response to U.S. plans to set up a missile shield in Poland.