2007年VOA标准英语-Rice Dismisses Russian Concerns About US Missil
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By David GollustState Department
26 April 2007
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Thursday dismissed as "ludicrous" Russian concerns that a U.S. missile defense1 plan for Europe would threaten Moscow's nuclear deterrent2. Russian President Vladimir Putin says Russia may pull out of a central European arms control treaty over the issue. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.
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NATO foreign ministers informal meeting in Oslo opens, 26 Apr 2007 |
The United States is negotiating with Poland and the Czech Republic on a plan that would place 10 U.S. missile interceptors in Poland and a related radar4 system on Czech territory.
The Bush administration says the antimissile system, to be operational in about five years, is aimed against single missiles or small salvoes of rockets that might be fired at Europe and the United States by Iran or some other rogue5 state.
Russia contends the system could counter its strategic missile force and fuel a new arms race.
U.S. officials say the limited defense system could in no way affect Russia's deterrent capability6. Speaking at a NATO meeting in Oslo, Secretary Rice appeared exasperated7 over the Russian position.
"Let's be real about this," she said. "The idea that somehow 10 interceptors and a few radars8 in eastern Europe are going to threaten the Soviet9 [Russian] strategic deterrent is purely10 ludicrous and everybody knows it. The Russians have thousands of warheads. The idea that you can somehow stop the Russian strategic nuclear deterrent with a few missile interceptors just doesn't make sense."
Rice said the Bush administration is willing to spend as much time as needed to, as she put it, "demystify" the plan for Russian authorities. But she said this has to be done on a realistic basis, not one that is grounded in the 1980s.
In Moscow, Russian President Valdimir Putin, in his final state of the nation address, accused the United States of seeking one-sided advantages in weaponry and expanding military bases near Russia's borders.
Mr. Putin said it would be "appropriate" under the circumstances to declare a moratorium11 on Russian adherence12 to the 1990 Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty, or CFE.
That agreement, reached between NATO and the former Warsaw Pact13 at the end of the Cold War and amended14 in 1992, set strict limits on tanks, artillery15 and other weapons in central Europe.
The United States and NATO allies observe the limits through they have refused to formally ratify16 it until Russia removes remaining troops from Georgia and Moldova.
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| Tom Casey |
"These are agreements that have been reached broadly, internationally. The treaty, I think, is something that's beneficial for all parties involved. Certainly we want to see everyone honor their obligations under it. Certainly, we feel the United States has met our obligations under that," he said.
Rice had a private talk on the sidelines of the NATO meeting in Oslo with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who was there to take part in a regular session of the NATO-Russia Council.
The Bush administration sent Defense Secretary Robert Gates to Moscow earlier this week to discuss the missile defense dispute and related issues.
Gates offered Russia information-sharing on missile defense including combining the two countries' defensive18 radar systems, though his new Russian counterpart, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, said Russia still considers the U.S. plan destabilizing.
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