FACTBOX-Is the cold war returning?

Thu May 31, 2007 1:31pm EDT
 
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(Reuters) - Russia's test firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile on Tuesday was in response to U.S. steps that have sparked an arms race and undermined world security, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

The United States is at loggerheads with Russia over a host of issues, including a missile defence system, the future of Kosovo and human rights.

Here are some details of the recent spats:

* MISSILE SHIELD: President George W. Bush has said his offer to cooperate with Moscow on missile defence still stands despite Russian insistence it will not change its opposition to the project.

-- Russia test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile on Tuesday that senior officials said could pierce any missile defence system, including the planned U.S. shield in Europe.

-- Russia has said the U.S. missile defence shield is a threat to its security and will change the strategic balance in Europe. Moscow opposes the scheme to base 10 missile interceptors in Poland and radar in the Czech Republic from 2012 to head off what Washington sees as a threat from Iran and North Korea.

* CFE PACT: Russia requested an emergency conference this week to discuss the arms control pact after accusing NATO nations of ignoring the deal negotiated in the months after the Cold War ended.

-- Last month Putin froze Moscow's commitments under the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty and said Russia could totally quit altogether if the Russia-NATO council failed to find a solution suitable to Moscow.

-- The CFE pact, originally signed in 1990 and updated in 1999, limits the number of battle tanks, heavy artillery, combat aircraft and attack helicopters deployed and stored between the Atlantic and Russia's Ural mountains.  Continued...

 

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