Russian official dismisses U.S. shield cooperation

By Kristin Roberts

WARSAW (Reuters) - Russia's foreign minister on Tuesday dismissed a U.S. offer of cooperation in missile defence activities, marking a setback in Bush administration efforts to convince Moscow and allies of plans for a European shield.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia felt it was being handed a fait accompli by Washington and had no interest in participating in the defence plan.

That came despite an attempt on Monday by U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates to allay Russian objections to plans for an anti-missile shield in eastern Europe by offering Moscow a chance to cooperate, for example, by sharing data from early warning systems and conducting joint exercises.

"We have the impression that everything has already been decided in Washington," Lavrov told reporters in Luxembourg. "We cannot really see that we could join."

He also warned the U.S. plan, if implemented, "could destabilize the situation in Europe."

Those comments followed Gates' meetings in Moscow, where he received a cool reception from senior leaders, including President Vladimir Putin. It also came as Poland's defence minister said for Warsaw to accept Washington's plan, the shield must increase security for Poland.

Washington wants to place 10 missile interceptors in Poland and a radar in the Czech Republic to defend against what it perceives as a potential future threat from Iran.

But the plan has provoked an angry reaction and determined opposition in Moscow, which thinks the U.S. shield may hurt its national security. The dispute has helped drive relations between Moscow and Washington to a low, drawing comparisons to the Cold War.