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Putin steps up missiles warning | Putin steps up missiles warning |
(40 minutes later) | |
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that US plans to build a missile defence system in eastern Europe would raise the risk of "mutual destruction". | Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that US plans to build a missile defence system in eastern Europe would raise the risk of "mutual destruction". |
Poland and the Czech Republic are keen to allow the US to site missile bases and radars on their territory. | Poland and the Czech Republic are keen to allow the US to site missile bases and radars on their territory. |
Mr Putin spoke a day after threatening to halt involvement with a treaty limiting conventional arms in Europe. | Mr Putin spoke a day after threatening to halt involvement with a treaty limiting conventional arms in Europe. |
"The threat of causing mutual damage and even destruction increases many times," he told Russian media. | "The threat of causing mutual damage and even destruction increases many times," he told Russian media. |
"This is not just a defence system, this is part of the US nuclear weapons system," the Itar-Tass news agency quoted him as saying. | "This is not just a defence system, this is part of the US nuclear weapons system," the Itar-Tass news agency quoted him as saying. |
Mr Putin was speaking after meeting Czech President Vaclav Klaus. | Mr Putin was speaking after meeting Czech President Vaclav Klaus. |
Tough line | Tough line |
Mr Putin has taken a tough line in recent months over the US plans for missile defence. | Mr Putin has taken a tough line in recent months over the US plans for missile defence. |
Russia is adopting the language of ultimatums Alexander GabuyevKommersant daily Russian media on Putin | |
His suggestion on Thursday that Russia could suspend membership of the 1990 Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty was met with "grave concern" by Nato. | His suggestion on Thursday that Russia could suspend membership of the 1990 Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty was met with "grave concern" by Nato. |
Nato Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said the agreement was one of the cornerstones of European security. | Nato Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said the agreement was one of the cornerstones of European security. |
Mr Putin has accused the US of overstepping its "natural borders" and of his concern at the apparent increase in military bases and systems close to Russia's borders. | Mr Putin has accused the US of overstepping its "natural borders" and of his concern at the apparent increase in military bases and systems close to Russia's borders. |
Mr Putin's use of the term "mutual destruction" harks back to the rhetoric of the Cold War, when strategists in Russia and the US relied at least partly on the theory of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) to prevent nuclear war. | Mr Putin's use of the term "mutual destruction" harks back to the rhetoric of the Cold War, when strategists in Russia and the US relied at least partly on the theory of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) to prevent nuclear war. |
The theory underpinned the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) treaty of 1972, which limited the development of anti-missile systems. | The theory underpinned the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) treaty of 1972, which limited the development of anti-missile systems. |
But the US withdrew from the ABM treaty in 2002, calling it a "relic" from a previous age. | But the US withdrew from the ABM treaty in 2002, calling it a "relic" from a previous age. |