The United States government has reiterated its plan to build an anti-missile defense system in Europe as a means of defensing the region from the likely missile attacks from Iran and North Korea. Russian President Vladimir Putin, on the other hand, has warned Washington of its plan that can endanger not only global security but also the both countries’ relations, which has gradually been bettering off since the collapse of Soviet Union.
Putin’s words actually refers to Washington’s plan to deploy an anti-missile system in two country members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Czech Republic and Poland.
In fact, as quoted by BBC, that “the radar would be installed in Czech Republic in 2011 and the ten interceptors in Poland between 2011 and 2013.”
The idea of having radar site in Czech Republic and anti-missile base in Poland are indeed should not be regarded as a threat for the Russian government, as Washington has assured Moscow that the system would not harm Russian defense since it is no more than countering future threat from both Iran and North Korea.
Nevertheless, Kremlin has a different interpretation, in which the missile deployment is no more than a buffer project aimed at Russia’s immense nuclear missile arsenal. And we should not undermine Putin’s recent threatening words saying that Russia would set to aim its missile at Europe if the shield is deployed.
Some analysts said that Putin’s anger reaction over the U.S. missile deployment plan is part of the effort of making Russian influence count. However, the launch of Russia’s latest cruise missile, the RS-24, can contribute to the likely nuclear war in Europe.
The world truly cannot afford to have another Cold War, and I believe that the Bush administration does not regard Russia as the enemy. “Russia is a country with whom we should have and can have good relations to solve common problems,” Bush was quoted by the Associated Press as saying.
Looking at the fact that the U.S. has forty anti-missiles (interceptors) in Alaska and four in California, I doubt that putting another ten in Poland with radar in the Czech Republic will give a significant protection.
Even though a number of analysts believe that Iran has ballistic missiles that can endanger its surrounding countries, I really think that building a missile defense shield in the Czech Republic and Poland is rather a political maneuver, as it wages more risk than the benefit itself.