Russia’s ABM response: just warning – VOR

Anisimov Sergey, Dmitriyeva Natalya

Photo: RIA Novosti   

Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev has announced tough counter- measures to NATO and US ABMs in Europe. However, he emphasized that Russia is not shutting the door on the ABM dialogue which now forms a major obstacle to the reset of the Russia-US relations. On November 23, President Dmitry Medvedev addressed the nation on this issue.

Medvedev stated that the US has already launched its ABM program in Europe and Russia should respond to this move appropriately.

“I have ordered the Ministry of Defense to deploy a radar missile warning system in the city of Kaliningrad. Then, a strategic missile facilities shield will be the first to be strengthened as part of setting up Russia’s Air and Space defense system. The third step is to equip Russia’s  Navy and strategic  missiles troops with a cutting-edge ABM penetration device and super efficient warheads. Finally, I have ordered the country’s military  to develop measures enabling the troops to destroy ABM control and information systems in the event of an attack. The abovementioned measures are appropriate, efficient and low-cost.”

Collective European ABMs should have become the basis of new relations between Russia, the US and NATO. There had been a thaw in the Russia-US relations when Obama dropped  Bush’s plans to deploy ABMs in Poland and the Czech Republic. This was followed by active talks on the START-3 Treaty aimed at reducing strategic offensive weapons.

In November 2010, the parties agreed to leave the Cold War prejudices behind at the Lisbon summit and were prepared to embark on a dialogue. Russia and NATO were prepared to work on the Euro-ABMs together but soon failed to reach an agreement on the system as Russia and the US have completely opposite view on it. Russia insists on its being involved in the US and NATO ABM system and is asking for specific legal guarantees that it will not target the country.

But the US has failed to provide such a guarantee.

Experts say that Medvedev’s statement was an attempt to strengthen Russia’s position in talks with NATO. There is nothing new in these demands on the international arena   –Russia’s permanent representative to NATO Dmitry Rogozin says

“We can’t get one thing- why issues like arms control, non-proliferation, nuclear test ban and other areas that are part of Russia-US strategic dialogue are cemented  in legally binding treaties. And only ABM is like a holy cow that is untouchable in official documents. We don’t get this point.”

One important issue is that Russia and the US don’t know from where they should be expecting an attack, says the head of the Institute for Strategic Assessment Sergei Oznobishchev

“The US sincerely claims that its ABM system is not aimed at Russia or its deterrence potential at all and is designed to prevent accidental attacks from third parties, mainly Iran. Many Russian experts believe that Iran will simply not be allowed to create such a system. By creating the ABM system the global community  admits that our non-proliferation efforts are in vain if we need to brace ourselves for Iran’s attacks of such a scale that Europe should be protected from them.”

Dmitry Medvedev has already given the West  his opinion  on the ABM system. He believes that Moscow has  to shield the West and bring down any Europe-bound military targets flying over Russia while NATO has to provide for Russia’s and Europe’s security as all ABM elements-sensors, radars and interceptors- are  aimed at to external threats. The US and NATO seem to have had a  firm  position on the issue from the very beginning, says the Deputy Head of the Duma Defense Committee Igor Barinov

“Unfortunately, the US is not prepared to make compromise on this issue while Russia has proposed several options which could suit both parties.

 America ignored all of them. Now an active political lobby in the government appears to be more powerful than the President.”

Washington has no intention to stop its ABM deployment in Europe. The National Security Council and State Department claim that it isn’t aimed at Russia.  The US Department of State Spokesman Mark Toner says that Washington is preapred to work with Russia and will try  to convince it that ABMs are not aimed at Russia.

Pentagon spokesman, John Kirby believes that only a full-fledged partnership between Russia and NATO would to remove tensions around the ABMs.

Barack Obama has not commented on Medvedev’s statement while many Republicans made rather harsh statements. Notorious anti-Russian Senator John McCain noted that the response would worsen the relations betweent he two countries  which  have to start the reset from scratch. He also viewed it as a threat to the US anti-missile shield.

US stubbornness and reluctance to listen to Russia may ruin all the previously reached compromises. Medvedev said that Russia may even walk out of the START Treaty but it’s still prepared to talk to the US and NATO. Washington and Brussels also a  dialogue.

The parties have had a year to decide how to proceed with this work and which goals to set but have nevertheless  failed to achieve this.

However, Medvedev emphasized that Russia, NATO and the US still have some time left.
VOR.

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