Russia Says U.S. Building 'New Berlin Wall'

Sergei Ivanov (file photo) (Trend) July 8, 2007 -- Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov says that U.S. plans to set up a missile-defense system in Central Europe amount to building a "new Berlin Wall."

In comments aired on the Rossiya television channel, Ivanov said placing rockets in Poland and a radar station in the Czech Republic "presents an obvious threat to Russia."

Russia has continually voiced its opposition to the U.S. missile-defense system that Washington says is meant to offer protection against attacks from Iran and North Korea.

Washington's plans for the missile shield have led to a further deterioration of already unsteady relations between Russia and the United States in recent months.

Russia has proposed creating a joint missile-defense system with United States and NATO participation as an alternative to Washington's current plan, but U.S. officials have treated the proposal cautiously.

(Interfax, AFP)

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U.S. President George W. Bush (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G8 summit in Germany on June 7 (AFP)

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