Warsaw has the intentions to receive dividends for the locating of elements of the US Anti-Missile Defence System within the Poland territory (AMD) and for this reason the country is "alarmed with the proposal on joint exploitation of the Azerbaijani Gabala Radar Station by Russia and the United States", the head of the General Staff of Russian Armed Forces, General Yuri Baluyevski, stated.
According to RBK, Baluyevski stated to journalists that Poland feared it would lose profits on the location of the US AMD within its territory, for fear that the United States would agree on Russia's proposal on the Gabala Radar Station. "I call all things by their names and believe that for this reason, the Poland Government ought to accelerate in the signing of an agreement with the United States, regarding the location of AMD in its territory," General stressed.
Baluyevski stated that the United States does not have anyintentions to discontinue the negotiations with Poland and the Czech Republic on the location of AMD elements within their territories, whilst joint exploitation of the Gabala Radar Station in Azerbaijan will be considered as a supplement to the US AMD within Eastern Europe. According to Baluyevski, the Administration of George Bush hastens to make irreversible decisions on AMD in order to make the future Administration face the issues. "It seems to me the issue on the location of AMD in Europe has already been resolved and therefore Russia's proposal on the joint exploitation of the Gabala Radar Station will not achieve implementation," Baluyevski stated.
According to the General, the Russian Defence Ministry observes the trends of integration of two AMD systems controlled by the United States: global AMD and Europe AMD. In the current situation Russia has to make its choice on how to act further. The United States proposes Russia to attend consultations. "How can we consult when we have not yet received a response to any of our questions?" said Baluyevski. Moreover, according to Baluyevski, the United States proposes consultations only on bilateral basis ( Russia-United States, Russia - NATO). Other sides, including EU countries, are ruled out from the supposed dialogue.
Notably, the United States have intentions to locate ten intercepting missiles in Poland and to construct a radar station in the Czech Republic neighbouring with Poland. According to US Administration, the measures are necessary for the protection of Europe from possible missile attacks from Iran and North Korea.
On the 7th of June, as a result of the meeting with US President George Bush, within the G-8 summit in Heiligendamm, Germany, Putin highlighted his proposal to jointly use the Russian-leased Azerbaijan Gabala Radar Station with the US. In response to the plans of the US to establish a missile-defence system in Poland and the Czech Republic, the Russian President highlighted the key advantage of such an approach: the system will be in maximum proximity to the object being tracked and observed.