Warsaw and Washington put pen to paper on a preliminary deal this week to base part of the infamous US missile shield defense in Poland - despite strong Russian opposition to the project.
"This is an important agreement for the security of the United States, for the security of Poland and the security of our NATO allies," chief US negotiator John Rood told the press.
The US plans to base 10 interceptor missiles on Polish territory, which, combined with a radar system in the Czech Republic, will form part of larger defense mechanism already in place in the United States, Greenland and Great Britain. The timeframe for completion of the project is between 2011 and 2013.
Washington insists that the shield system, which has been endorsed by all 26 NATO members, is designed to protect against potential attacks by so-called "rogue states". The US being particularly concerned by Iran's alleged push towards nuclear armament. Moscow however perceives the project as a direct threat to Russian security.
"In no way is the president's plan for missile defense aimed at Russia. In fact, it's just not even logically possible for it to be aimed at Russia given how Russia could overwhelm it," said Dana Perino, a US spokesperson.
This is not an opinion shared by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who has issued strong words against the shield:
"These installations... only worsen the situation. We will be forced to respond to this adequately. The EU and US have been warned."
Whilst the Czech Republic agreed terms with the US in July, talks in Poland have grinded on for 15 months with Donald Tusk, Poland's President, adamant that the provide a Patriot missile air-defence system as a prerequisite of Polish involvement.
"We do take very seriously the concerns of our ally," Rood said, adding that, "In five, seven or 10 years we want to be sufficiently well-equipped and well-trained to be ready, both with our allies but by ourselves, to defend ourselves at a critical moment."
Tusk said that the United States had also "committed to close cooperation with Poland in the event of a danger from a third party." And no doubt Poland is concerned about Russia's recent designs on Georgian territory, and wondering where else their intentions lie. It is no secret that Vladimir Putin perceives the break-up of the Soviet Union as "the greatest geo-political disaster of the 20th Century," and older Poles can remember Russian tanks rolling into Poland twice in their lifetime.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said, in response to the situation in Georgia, that "we're facing a new international situation. The situation doesn't change our arguments but in my view reinforces them". |