Russia has rejected U.S. proposals on a missile defense system that Washington plans to deploy in Europe, Itar-Tass news agency quoted an unidentified Kremlin source as saying Wednesday, reported Reuters.
"Russia is ready to cooperate with the United States on European security but considers the proposals (on the missile defense system) that were sent are insufficient," Tass quoted the source as saying.
"The current (U.S.) administration wants at any cost to ... exclude any discussion. In this way, the new U.S. president will carry the responsibility for what they have done."
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said last week he planned to deploy missile systems near Poland in retaliation for U.S. plans to install elements of the proposed missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic.
Washington has submitted proposals aimed at easing Russian concerns that the system will threaten its national security. Senior U.S. officials said this week they were planning to discuss the proposals with their Russian counterparts soon.
The rejection of Washington's proposals comes on the same day that William Burns, the third-ranking official in the U.S. State Department, was in Moscow for talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Burns is the most senior U.S. official to visit Russia since August's war between Russia and U.S. ally Georgia.