Russia and missile defense
While talks are on going with Russia to calm the trouble waters stirred by Putin's intemperate speech in Europe recently, one thing that needs to be made clear is the limits of missile defense as now planned.
The current plan is clearly aimed at rogue regimes like Iran which Russia is helping to prop up and is providing with an air defense system. The price Russia will pay for getting in bed with a rogue is a limited missile defense system in Europe. Why the Russians want to get in bed with people who want to destroy them is unclear beyond some need to play balance of power games against a non threatening state like the US.
If Russia persists in a hostile reaction to the missile defense system, it will not go away, but Russian threats against Poland and the Czech Republic could cause the system to be beefed up to counter the threats and weaken Russia's ability to intimidate.
The current plan is clearly aimed at rogue regimes like Iran which Russia is helping to prop up and is providing with an air defense system. The price Russia will pay for getting in bed with a rogue is a limited missile defense system in Europe. Why the Russians want to get in bed with people who want to destroy them is unclear beyond some need to play balance of power games against a non threatening state like the US.
If Russia persists in a hostile reaction to the missile defense system, it will not go away, but Russian threats against Poland and the Czech Republic could cause the system to be beefed up to counter the threats and weaken Russia's ability to intimidate.
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