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U.S.-Russia joint missile defense is only way forward: Putin
Russia's President Vladimir Putin speaks during a news conference on the second day of the G20 Summit in Los Cabos June 19, 2012.
Credit: Reuters/Andres Stapff
LOS CABOS, Mexico |
LOS CABOS, Mexico (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated Moscow's strong opposition to the U.S. missile defense system on Tuesday, saying that President Barack Obama's re-election would not end the dispute and insisting on joint development of the shield.
"I think that the missile defense issue will not be solved regardless of whether Obama is elected or not," he told reporters at the end of Group of 20 summit in Mexico.
"I think that something can radically change only in the case if the U.S. agrees with our proposal which says that Russia, Europe and U.S. were equal participants of this process," said Putin.
Moscow says the interceptors that the United States and NATO are deploying as part of the system will be able to destroy Russian warheads in flight by about 2018, upsetting the post-Cold War balance of power.
Washington maintains that the missile defense system - which is to be deployed in four phases by about 2020 - is intended to counter a potential threat from Iran and poses no risk to Russia.
(Reporting by Gleb Bryanski.; Writing by Paul Eckert; editing by Christopher Wilson)
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I was just wondering. If we deploy an anti-ballistic missle system doesn’t that violate the “abm” treaty unless we agree as Reagan did in his speech introducing the “abm” or strategic defense intitiative that a simultaenous deplyment would occur?
I wonder if Richard Lugar would remember this before he leaves office?
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