Russia warned late Tuesday that it would
use a "military-technical" response to the US missile shield system
which Washington plans deploying in Poland and the Czech Republic, dpa reported.
The warning, reported by ITAR-TASS news agency quoting the Russian Foreign
Ministry, came as US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice completed a deal in Prague for the Czechs to host the system's radar.
"If the agreement with the United States liable for ratification by the
Czech parliament eventually becomes a law, and the deployment of US missile
defence elements really starts in the direct proximity to our borders, we will
have to use military-technical rather than diplomatic methods," the
Russian ministry statement said.
"There is no doubt that the deployment of US strategic weaponry close to
the Russian territory may be used for weakening our deterring potential,"
the statement said.
"Obviously, Russia will have to take appropriate measures and compensate
the forming potential threats to its national security. This is not our
choice."