The deployment of elements of an American anti-ballistic missile defense system on the territory of the Czech Republic and Poland will not be able to defend Europe from a missile attack.
Ukrainian President’s councilor Volodymyr Horbulin said this at a news conference in UNIAN today.
“I think this decision will not allow USA to secure its European allies from the point of view of a missile attack from Iran, Syria, other states”, V.Horbulin said, adding that he absolutely rules out the possibility of defense from an attack of North Korea.
According to him, the deployment of anti-ballistic missile defense elements will significantly heighten the political tension. “It will cause, and has already caused, a corresponding political storm”, he said. In particular, it could be seen by the speech of RF President Vladimir Putin in Germany, he said.
V.Horbulin noted that Ukraine must work out a clear stance concerning the threats to its own security from the eventual deployment of anti-ballistic missile defense elements.
“Frankly speaking, I do not see any big threat in this, but it may cause serious moments in the political dimension in the Eastern Europe, and we should think it over”, V.Horbulin said.
As UNIAN reported, the possible deployment of elements of an anti-ballistic missile defense system on the territory of the Czech Republic and Poland is being widely discussed in the political circles of Europe, Russia, and even Ukraine.
The US says that the deployment of anti-ballistic missile defense elements in Europe by 2011 is aimed at protecting American and NATO installations from enemy threats coming from the Middle East, not Russia.
This was announced on Jan. 29 by US Army Brigadier General Patrick J. O`Reilly, Deputy Director of the Pentagon`s Missile Defense Agency.
The general also announced that the US is already negotiating with Russia about American plans in the National Missile Defense (NMD) sphere and inviting the Russians to take part in its implementation. He says that Russian participation in this process will strengthen Russia`s defense potential.
However, the Russian side views this as a threat. Russian President Vladimir Putin called the statement by supporters of the deployment of an anti-ballistic missile defense system in Eastern Europe to warn against threats coming from Iran ungrounded and expressed confidence that Russia`s reply will be asymmetrical and effective.
