Russia disdains US missile defence outreach

According to the Russian newspaper Kommersant, the US are trying to intensify the deadlocked US-Russian cooperation on missile defence and have invited Russian defence officials to visit the US Missile Defence Agency (MDA) base in Colorado. After NATO and Russia agreed on missile defence cooperation at NATO’s 2010 Lisbon Summit and despite efforts by the Obama administration to “reset” the US-Russian relationship there has been no progress between US and Russia on a missile shield for Europe.

The Kremlin accuses the US missile defence system of weakening Russian defences. The American invitation was addressed to a delegation of Russian senior officials, led by Deputy Defence Minister Anatoly Antonov to enable them to assure themselves that the US system doesn’t represent a threat for Russia. According to Kommersant, however, Russia has not responded yet. Russian representatives have also been invited to a US missile test in the Pacific next spring, yet the Russian defence ministry shows very little enthusiasm, above all because the US refused to provide written guarantees about their missile defence system not being directed against Moscow.