Russia missile test, warning to US

Press TV
Friday June 1, 2007 

The Russian President has called the country's test firing of a ballistic missile a response to the US missile defense shield plan.

"Our American partners have left the ABM (Anti-Ballistic Missile) Treaty. We have warned them then that we will come out with a response to maintain the strategic balance in the world," Vladimir Putin told a press conference on Thursday.

"We conducted a test of a new strategic ballistic missile with multiple warheads, and of a new cruise missile, and will continue to improve our resources, "he added.

"We are not the initiators of this new round of the arms race," said Putin.

"(Our partners) are stuffing eastern Europe with new weapons. A new base in Bulgaria, another in Romania, a site in Poland, radar in the Czech Republic . . . what are we supposed to do? We cannot just observe all this," the Russian president warned.

Russia test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile on Tuesday featuring multiple warheads that military experts said could pierce any missile defense system, including the planned US shield in Europe.

The US made a formal request in January to place a radar base in a Czech Republic military area southwest of Prague and 10 interceptor missiles in Poland as part of the plan for the missile defense shield.

Russia says the US missile defense shield is a threat to its security and will change the strategic balance in Europe.

Moscow has stood firm in its opposition to the US missile defense system, saying it could lead to "a new spiral in the arms race".

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