MOSCOW, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday announced with unusual rhetoric that Moscow may move offensive missile systems to its borders with Europe if missile defense talks with the United States and NATO fail.
Medvedev's statement could mean that Moscow is losing patience with Washington on the missile shield issue, local observers said.
LOSING PATIENCE?
"Medvedev wants to demonstrate he is tough, determined, and ready to protect national interests. Earlier, only his envoy to NATO Dmitry Rogozin used such rhetoric," said Alexei Makarkin, analyst from the Center for Political Technologies in Moscow.
"Now Medvedev formally made it clear that Moscow has been disappointed with the 'reset' of Russia-U.S. relations, which has failed to find common language on missile defense issue," Makarkin said.
Local experts noted that reaching common understanding on missile defense should be a key component of the reset process, but the U.S. side has ignored Moscow's demand on written legal guarantee that the U.S. missile shield in Europe should not target Russia.
Rogozin said Medvedev's statement was intended to prompt Washington and NATO to take Russia seriously at the missile defense talks.
"We won't allow them to treat us like fools... Nuclear deterrent forces aren't a joke," he said.
The Russian president also warned Wednesday that Russia may withdraw from the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) with the United States if the situation with the European missile shield develops in an unfavorable way.
"If Russia really withdraws from the START treaty, this would be an exceptional move that may result in unleashing new arms race," said Igor Korotchenko, member of the Russian Defense Ministry's Public Council.
"So it will be the last resort," he added.
DOOR REMAINS OPEN FOR DIALOGUE
Despite the rhetoric, the counter-measures Medvedev announced on Wednesday actually contain very little new information for both Russian and Western military strategists, local experts believe.
Many Russian senior officials, including Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, have repeatedly said that if the anti-missile talks with the U.S. and NATO fail, Russia would take measures, including the deployment of its strategic offensive arms.
The major difference this time is that Medvedev deliberated on the military measures, analysts explained.
Meanwhile, they believe Medvedev still left the door open for future dialogue, hoping the United States could make certain compromise in missile defense talks.
"Medvedev said Russia did not refuse further dialogue with the United States and NATO. Failure to reach a deal today does not mean the deal cannot be reached tomorrow," Mikhail Margelov, head of the Federation Council's International Affairs Committee, told the Itar-Tass news agency.
He rejected the view that disagreement on the missile shield problem means an end to Russia-U.S. reset.
"Disagreement on one of the many items on the agenda of Russian-American relations is no reason for rupture," he stressed, adding that he was confident about the possibility of continuing Russian-American dialogue.
