Russia is unhappy over U.S. plans to deploy permanent missile defenses and air force units in Poland, 100 kilometers from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.
Moscow has long opposed the deployment of U.S. missile defenses near its borders, arguing they would be a security threat and could destroy the strategic balance of forces in Europe.
"Regarding the U.S. plans to deploy missile defenses elements and air force units in Poland, we are certainly concerned and agitated," Alexander Lukashevich said.
On March 3, the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton confirmed Washington's military plans in Poland.
Wikileaks published U.S. cables in late 2010 showing that NATO was drawing up a plan on the protection of Estonia, Lithuania and Poland from external threats on a request from the United States and Germany.
Lukashevich also said the U.S. plans contradicted calls for cooperation at the Russia-NATO Council summit in Lisbon in November 2010.
Russia and NATO agreed to cooperate on the so called Euro missile defense system at the Lisbon summit. NATO insists there should be two independent systems that exchange information, while Russia favors a joint system.
MOSCOW, March 10 (RIA Novosti)
