Russian Ministry: U.S.-NATO Missile Defense Will Neutralize China's Nuclear Deterrent

Missile Defense May Void Chinese Deterrent Soon - Ministry. RIA Novosti. Michail Fomichev

Missile Defense May Void Chinese Deterrent Soon - Ministry -- RIA Novosti

Creation of a missile defense system for Europe may neutralize the deterrent of China's nuclear weapons much sooner than Russia's, a Defense Ministry official said on Thursday at a missile defense conference in Moscow.

"China's nuclear potential will be 'neutralized' much sooner than Russia's. China has a much more limited capability," said Sergei Koshelev, the head of the ministry's Military Cooperation Department.

Read more ....

My Comment: I call this a "wink-nudge" from Russia to China that they better pay attention to missile defense.

Russia Threatens War Over U.S.-NATO Missile Defense

Russian General Threatens ‘Pre-emptive’ Attacks on Missile-Defense Sites -- New York Times

MOSCOW — A senior Russian general threatened on Wednesday pre-emptive attacks on missile defense sites in Poland and elsewhere in Eastern Europe in the event of a crisis, underscoring the Kremlin’s opposition to the Obama administration’s plans and further undermining relations between the countries.

While Russian officials have said previously that the antimissile sites could become targets in the event of war, the threat of a pre-emptive attack was new.

Read more ....

More News On Russian Threats Of Launching A Preemptive Strike If Missile Defense Is Installed In Europe

Russia Does Not Rule Out Preemptive Missile Defense Strike -- RIA Novosti
US stance on missile defense triggers strong Russian reaction -- RT
Russia 'retains right' to pre-emptive strike on missile shield -- RT
Russia’s military threatens preemptive strike if NATO goes ahead with missile plan -- Washington Post/AP
Russia says it could pre-emptively strike missile shield -- Reuters
Russia threatens preemptive strike over planned US missile shield -- MSNBC
Russia's Top General Says Preemptive Strike Against Missile Shield Possible -- Voice of America
Russia threatens to strike NATO missile defense sites -- Washington Times
Russia warns of pre-emptive strike -- UPI
Russia's military threatens pre-emptive strike if NATO goes ahead with missile plan -- FOX News/AP
US shows no sign of compromise over missile shield -- AFP
Russia: U.S. Missile Defense Talks Near End -- Time/AP
Defense Minister: Missile Shield Negotiations at Dead End -- The Moscow Times
Official: US-Russia missile defense talks 'close to a dead end' -- The Hill
NATO Hopeful as Missile Shield Tension Builds -- Moscow Times
NATO's Rasmussen hopeful on Russian missile pact -- Reuters

Russia Threatens Preemptive Strike If US-NATO Build Missile Shield

Chief of General Staff Nikolai Makarov. RT

Russian Military Ups The Ante On Missile Defense -- Washington Times/AP

Threatens to carry out a pre-emptive strike on facilities in Eastern Europe.

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s top military officer has threatened to carry out a pre-emptive strike on U.S.-led NATO missile defense facilities in Eastern Europe if Washington goes ahead with its controversial plan to build a missile shield.

President Dmitry Medvedev said last year that Russia will retaliate militarily if it does not reach an agreement with the United States and NATO on the missile defense system.

Read more ....

My Comment: Oh oh .... I am busy with work right now, but this story will be covered more extensively later in the day.

Are Russian Concerns On U.S. Missile Defense "Legitimate"?

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, right, greets with Russian Defense Minister Anatoliy Serdyukov before beginning bilateral discussions during the NATO Defense Ministerial in Brussels, Belgium, June 8, 2011. DOD photo by Cherie Cullen

Russian Unease Over U.S. Missile Defense Plans "Legitimate," Experts Say -- Global Security Newswire

WASHINGTON -- The Russian military has "legitimate" concerns that its strategic nuclear deterrent might be hampered by the U.S. plan to erect a missile shield in and around Europe, a pair of technical experts said on Wednesday (see GSN, June 8).

Those worries -- including the scope of the program that could include deployment of hundreds of missile interceptors -- could lead to action by Russian political leaders, the observers said.

Read more ....

More News On Missile Defense

Russia-NATO Meeting Fails to Bridge Missile Defense Divide -- Global Security Newswire
Russia says Nato not listening on missile shield -- Strait Times/AFP
NATO, Russia clash again on missile defense plan -- Newsday/AP
Russia: Missile shield issue not stymied -- UPI
NATO rejects Russia’s missile defence proposals -- The Hindu
New US-Russia Arms Race? Battle Lines Grow Over Missile Defense. -- Christian Science Monitor
NATO rejects Russian missile-defense proposal -- Washington Times
NATO and Russia fail to narrow missile defense gap -- Jerusalem Post/Reuters
NATO, Russia clash again on missile defense plan -- Forbes/AP
NATO and Russia fail to narrow missile defence gap -- Euronews
NATO, Russia clash again on missile defense plan -- Newsday
Russia, NATO Disagree on Future of Missile Shield, Interfax Says -- Bloomberg
Russian-NATO Defense Fued Heats Up -- Forbes/AP
Solution to European missile defense depends on U.S. - Russian defense minister -- RIA Novosti
Missile Defense: As Friends or Foes? -- Dmitry Rogozin, New York Times
Why Russia's anti missile defense -- Yousaf Butt, Politico
The Missile Defense Hyperbole Game -- Greg Thielmann, Moscow Times
On a way to compromise -- Voice of Russia
Russia Claims Ability to Penetrate NATO Missile Shield -- Global Security Newswire
Uncertain World: Epilogue on joint missile defense -- Fyodor Lukyanov, RIA Novosti

Will Differences On Missile Defense Start A U.S.-Russian Arms Race?

US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates (r.) shakes hands with his Russian counterpart Anatoly Serdyukov during a meeting at the Russia-NATO Council in Brussels on Wednesday, June 8. Jason Reed/Reuters

New US-Russia Arms Race? Battle Lines Grow Over Missile Defense. -- Christian Science Monitor

Defense Secretary Gates and his Russian counterpart will sit down for high-level talks Thursday. US plans for antimissile deployments are spurring threats that Russia might withdraw from the New START nuclear treaty.

Moscow's previously troubled relations with NATO have improved greatly over the past two years, but the sleeping elephant in the room – the widening gap between Russian and Western visions for a missile defense shield to defend civilization from rogue attacks – may be about to wake up and turn nasty.

Read more ....

More News On U.S. - Russian Missile Defense

NATO rejects Russian missile-defense proposal -- Washington Times
NATO and Russia fail to narrow missile defense gap -- Jerusalem Post/Reuters
NATO, Russia clash again on missile defense plan -- Forbes/AP
NATO and Russia fail to narrow missile defence gap -- Euronews
NATO, Russia clash again on missile defense plan -- Newsday
Russia, NATO Disagree on Future of Missile Shield, Interfax Says -- Bloomberg
Russian-NATO Defense Fued Heats Up -- Forbes/AP
Solution to European missile defense depends on U.S. - Russian defense minister -- RIA Novosti
Missile Defense: As Friends or Foes? -- Dmitry Rogozin, New York Times
Why Russia's anti missile defense -- Yousaf Butt, Politico
Russia Claims Ability to Penetrate NATO Missile Shield -- Global Security Newswire

Russia Warns About Missile Defense In Europe

Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama. @Pool

Russia Wants US Guarantees on Missile Shield -- Voice of America

Russia says it wants legal guarantees from the United States that a proposed missile defense shield for Europe will not threaten Russian security.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Monday that Moscow has been disappointed by Washington's reluctance to provide such assurances, saying it cannot agree to missile defense cooperation with the U.S. and NATO without it.

Read more ....

More News On Europe's Missile Defense

Russia wants US guarantees on missile shield -- AP
NATO Missile Shield Needs to Include Russia, Medvedev Says -- Global Security Newswire
Russia Presses U.S. For Missile Security Safeguards -- Defense News/AFP
Russian president voices concerns over European missile defense system -- People's Daily Online
Russia warns NATO on Romania missile deal -- UPI
Medvedev, Obama to discuss missile defense at G8 summit -- RIA Novosti
Missile Defense In Romania -- Voice of America editorial

U.S. Senators Concerned On Missile Shield Moves With The Russians

U.S. Senators Warn Obama on Missile Shield Moves -- Defense News

WASHINGTON - President Obama must beat back any Russian demands for "red-button" sway over a missile shield in Europe and deny Moscow access to sensitive data tied to the program, U.S. senators urged April 14.

The 39 lawmakers, all Republicans, said in a letter to Obama that they were "concerned" Russia would exploit his desire for bilateral cooperation on the issue to "undermine" U.S. national security.

Read more ....

My Comment: Their concerns are justified. The U.S. has placated Russian concerns on almost every issue relating to European defense .... and there is no reason to believe that they will do so again on European missile defense.

Russia Wants Veto Rights On US Missile Defense System

Russia Wants 'Red Button' Rights For US Missile Defence System -- The Telegraph

A top Kremlin official has told the United States Russia wants "red button" rights to a new US-backed missile defence system for Europe, a move that would allow it to influence the shield's day-to-day operational use.

Sergey Ivanov, Russia's deputy prime minister, made the controversial demand during a visit to the United States where he met with top officials including Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State.

"We insist on only one thing," he said of the nascent US-backed missile defence shield. "That we are an equal part of it."

"In practical terms, that means that our office will sit for example in Brussels and agree on a red-button push to launch an interceptor missile, regardless of whether the missile is launched from Poland, Russia or the UK."

Read more ....

My Comment: I will be shocked if the U.S. agrees to this Russian demand .... but from what I hear from my Russian contacts back home .... this will surprise the Russians even more. But such is the poor state of US relations in Europe today that the Russians feel confident to even ask.

Wikileaks: Proposed Missile Defense System For Europe Would Not Have Worked

A Russian Topol-12M mobile nuclear missile Photo: REUTERS

WikiLeaks Cables: Planned US Missile Shield Blind To Nuclear Weapons -- The Telegraph

US plans for a missile defence system on Czech soil ran into trouble when defence chiefs realised the proposed radar was blind to nuclear missiles, leaked diplomatic cables show.

A 2007 briefing by General Patrick O’Reilly, director of the US Missile Defence Agency, disclosed that the radar system would be unable to detect long-range missiles in the launch phase because it could only see in a straight line, not over the horizon.

By the time the radar "saw" the missile, it would be too late to launch an interceptor in time to stop it striking its target.

The Czech radar system was the lynch-pin of George Bush’s “son of star wars” missile defence plans, ostensibly intended to intercept missiles launched from North Korea and Iran.

Russia reacted furiously to the proposed system, which it claimed could threaten its own defences and be used to spy on its interests.

Read more ....

My Comment: This is old news .... the radar system was never the right one for Europe .... but the main stream media is now (a few years late) finally covering this story .... and that is because of the Wikileaks disclosures. Hmmmm .... no wonder President Obama canceled the program .... it would never have been able to do its job.

NATO Moves Ahead With Europe's Missile Defense Shield And Russian Cooperation

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev attends a press conference after the conclusion of the NATO Summit in Lisbon, capital of Portugal, Nov. 20, 2010. (Xinhua/Wang Qingqin)

NATO Moves Ahead With Missile Shield -- Global Security Newswire

NATO members on Friday approved plan to establish an integrated and enhanced shield against missile threats, Reuters reported (see GSN, Nov. 18).

The program includes a U.S. plan to deploy a radar base and land- and sea-based missile interceptors around Europe. Obama administration officials said the missile cover -- to be fielded in phases from 2011 to 2020 -- would have the ability to target long-range missiles and ICBMs, Reuters reported.

The plan to integrate European antimissile capabilities alongside U.S. missile defense systems is expected to cost $280 million.

Read more ....

More News On Europe's Missile Defense Shield

Russia pledges a new era of co-operation -- Sydney Morning Herald
Russia Proposes Divided Anti-Missile Defense System -- Voice of America
NATO Leaders Agree to New Start With Russia -- New York Times
Medvedev suggests Europe missile defence plan -- AFP
Russia to aid NATO on antimissile network in Europe -- Washington Post
Russia 'to work with Nato on missile defence shield' -- BBC
Russia-NATO strategic partnership may be easier said than done -- Xinhuanet
The Lisbon Reset -- RIA Novosti