NATO says Putin threat 'unhelpful and unwelcome'

BBC:

Russia's threat to aim weapons at Europe if the US sets up a missile defence shield there was "unhelpful and unwelcome", Nato has said.

The US says it wants missile defence in eastern Europe to counter threats from states like Iran and North Korea.

On Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Iran was not a threat to the US, hinting that Russia was the target.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has said he will have "frank" talks with Mr Putin this week about the threat.

...

Putin's irrational response to a defensive system that could not stop Russian missile attacks anyway is weird. Putin tries to make the case that because Iran has not tested a missile with that range yet, the system is not needed. But, there is ample evidence that Iran is trying to acquire missiles with that range and Iran is trying to acquire nuclear bombs. There is also a stated intention of Iran to launch such attacks. Putin's paranoid raving that the defense system is aimed at Russia which does not have any missiles aimed at Europe does not pass the laugh test.