United States and Canada

Russia says it won’t deploy missiles near Poland

By the AP

From the AP: Russia said Saturday it will scrap a plan to deploy missiles near Poland since Washington has dumped a planned missile shield in Eastern Europe . . . Russia’s Deputy Defense Minister Vladimir Popovkin told Ekho Moskvy radio Saturday that [President Barack] Obama’s move has made the deployment of Iskander short-range missiles in […]

Secretary of State Clinton: Poland Will Get Patriot missiles and the Czech Republic Gets R/D funding

By the Department of State

From the Department of State: We are not reducing our capacity to protect our interests and our allies from Iran. By contrast, we are increasing that capacity and focusing it on our best understanding of Iran’s current capabilities. And most of all, we would never, never walk away from our allies. We have recommitted ourselves […]

Sec. Gen. Rasmussen: “linking the US, NATO and Russia missile defence systems”

By NATO

From NATO: Yesterday, the US announced its plans with regard to a missile defence which can include and can protect all European allies. These plans will involve an even greater role for NATO with regard to missile defence in Europe – and I welcome that as a positive step. In my view, the proliferation of […]

NATOSource: Capital Hill Republicans Announce Opposition to White House Missile Defense Decision

This morning’s announcement by President Obama that the U.S. will abandon its planned missile defense system with Poland and the Czech Republic has produced immediate and negative responses from Congressional leaders. Congressman John Boehner, the House minority leader, told the New York Times that, “[s]crapping the U.S. missile defense system in Poland and the Czech […]

Europe reacts to Obama dropping missile defence shield

By the Guardian

From the Guardian: Ellen Tauscher, the state department’s under-secretary for arms control, and Alexander Vershbow, deputy defence secretary and former US ambassador to Russia and Nato, were in Warsaw and Prague today doing the explaining . . . “The Americans only cared about their interests. They used everybody else,” said Lech Walesa, the former Polish […]

NATO expects close work with U.S. on missiles

By Reuters

From Reuters: NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said he had spoken to U.S. officials on Thursday but did not react directly to the reports that Washington is backing away from its missile defense project involving sites in Poland and the Czech Republic, which has provoked Russian concerns. “It is my clear impression that the American […]

FACT SHEET U.S. Missile Defense Policy A Phased, Adaptive Approach for Missile Defense in Europe

By the White House

From the White House: Throughout all four phases, the United States also will be testing and updating a range of approaches for improving our sensors for missile defense. The new distributed interceptor and sensor architecture also does not require a single, large, fixed European radar that was to be located in the Czech Republic; this […]

Remarks by the President on Strengthening Missile Defense in Europe

By the White House

From the White House: [W]e have made specific and proven advances in our missile defense technology, particularly with regard to land- and sea-based interceptors and the sensors that support them. Our new approach will, therefore, deploy technologies that are proven and cost-effective and that counter the current threat, and do so sooner than the previous […]

Time for Russia to show it is serious

By the Financial Times

From the Financial Times: This week, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the new Nato secretary-general, followed suit, telling the FT he wants to start an “open-minded and unprecedented dialogue” with the Kremlin on security issues. These words have been accompanied by action to allay Russian concerns, such as an effective halt to Nato’s eastward expansion. Yet in […]