Support The Moscow Times!

Foreign Ministry Complains About U.S. Warships

The Foreign Ministry on Thursday warned that a U.S. agreement to deploy warships off the Spanish coast as part of a NATO-wide anti-missile shield this week was undermining Russia-NATO cooperation.

But a NATO official responded that the issue was not debatable.

The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the presence of U.S. warships in Spanish waters "caused concern" and complained that Wednesday's agreement with Spain was "unacceptable" because it had been reached without a discussion with Russia.

The move represents "a significant increase in U.S. anti-missile capabilities in the European zone," the statement said.

The statement continues a crossfire between Russia and the United States over the missile defense shield, which is designed to protect European NATO states and the United States from an attack from countries such as Iran. Russia strongly opposes the shield and agreed at a NATO summit in Lisbon last November to cooperate with the Western alliance on missile defense.

U.S. President Barack Obama's plan calls for an initial deployment of ship-based anti-ballistic missiles in the Mediterranean followed by ground-based systems in Romania, Poland and Turkey.

The NATO official said by phone that there was nothing to discuss.

"The problem is simply this: Our train has left the station," he said, asking for anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the issue with the media.

"We do want to cooperate with Russia, but we cannot stop the program," he said.

When Obama came to power, he scrapped his predecessor's plan for longer-range interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar installation in the Czech Republic, both of which had angered the Kremlin. The move helped to start the "reset" of the counties' relations.

But the Foreign Ministry said recent developments cast a cloud on the future.


"If events continue to develop this way, then the chance created by the Lisbon Russia-NATO summit to turn missile defense from an area of confrontation into a subject of cooperation will be lost," its statement said.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more