Poland Holds Out Hope for Missile Shield
Earlier this month, we blogged about President Barack Obama’s reported offer to Russia to cancel plans to build missile defense shields in Poland and the Czech Republic in exchange for Russia helping the U.S. deal with Iran’s possible nuclear weapons. Despite a New York Times report and lots of news coverage about a “secret letter” Obama sent to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to that effect, the president denied reports of such an offer.
The Czech Republic sees the writing on the wall. Last week, the government “temporarily pulled back” from parliament agreements between the Czech Republic and the U.S. to install missile defense radar. Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek said, “This does not mean we would give up on the ratification process. We will return to this issue after talks with the U.S. administration and after the NATO summit in Strasbourg and Kehl.”
But Poland is still holding out hope. On Sunday, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said his country had taken “something of a political risk” when signing an agreement to build a missile defense shield and that the Czechs “patiently wait for the new administration, and we hope we don’t regret our trust in the United States.” (Reuters)
Representative Ellen Tauscher, expected to be announced as the new Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, said the missile system will have to be proven viable before deployment (as one would expect).
During the Bush administration, the U.S. assured Russia that missile shields in Poland and the Czech Republic were for defensive purposes, but Russia has remained doubtful.
(Photo credit: AP/Alik Keplicz)
Tags: Czech Republic, Dmitry Medvedev, Ellen Tauscher, Mirek Topolanek, Poland, Radoslaw Sikorski, Russia