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November 13, 2008

Gates Criticizes Latest Russian Missile Threats
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1F54CBB:A6F02AD83191E1605FB51C04D60576AC98CBE7246176B735&
 
US defense secretary calls Russia's threats to deploy missiles in
Kaliningrad 'provocative and misguided' 
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Russian threats to place
tactical missiles near Poland's borders, in response to U.S. missile
defense plans, are "hardly the welcome" a new U.S. president deserves.
U.S. Defense Sec. Robert Gates at a press conference during informal
NATO- Ukraine consultations, Tallinn, 13 Nov 2008Gates spoke Thursday in
Estonia, after an informal meeting of NATO defense ministers with their
Ukrainian counterpart. He noted that Russian President Dmitri Medvedev's
threat last week to place missiles in its Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad
came hours after the U.S. presidential election had concluded. He called
the threat provocative and misguided. Gates attended the NATO meeting to
highlight U.S. support for eastern European allies currently under fire
from Moscow for efforts to build closer ties with the West. The United
States wants to deploy 10 missile interceptors in Poland and guidance
radar in the Czech Republic, to protect U.S. allies from possible
attacks by Iran. Moscow says the missile system will destabilize Europe
and lead to a new arms race. On arrival in Tallinn Wednesday, Gates said
Russia should not seek to prevent former Soviet allies from fully
integrating with the West. He also said he wanted to reaffirm
Washington's commitment to Baltic countries Ukraine and Georgia. Gates
said NATO is working on defense plans for Estonia and other alliance
members. He also promised funding to boost Estonian cyber security. Some
NATO allies are reluctant to move too fast in admitting the former
Soviet allies, so as to avoid angering Moscow.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.


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