NATO is building the missile defense muscle, which is dangerous for strategic stability

MOSCOW, November 1 (Itar-Tass) —— NATO is building the missile defense muscle, which is dangerous for strategic stability, Federation Council Chairperson Valentina Matviyenko told NATO Parliamentary Assembly President Karl Lamers on Tuesday. Cooperation in European missile defense “is a key issue to determine the future shape of Russia-NATO relations,” she said. “The quality and depth of Russia-NATO cooperation will depend on that to a large degree.” “The process, which is taking place within the alliance, obviously outpaces debates at the Russia-NATO Council. In fact, we are presented with fait accompli: the deployment of global missile defense elements may weaken our defensive potential in the future,” Matviyenko said, referring to the U.S. missile defense agreements with Turkey, Romania and Spain. “The unilateral unlimited growth of the missile defense potential in one state or a limited group of states may harm strategic stability,” she said. “Decisions, which will at least prevent the targeting of NATO and Russia military planning against each other, would meet the interest of European security,” Matviyenko said. “Hence, we should intensify confidence building measures, the dialog on military doctrines and defense planning and to carry on the exchange of experience in armed forces’ reforms.” As for Moscow-NATO interaction in missile defense, Matviyenko said that Russia would not start “practical cooperation in missile defense without preliminary coordination of its tasks and goals.” “Russian parliamentarians support the need for clear legal guarantees that missile defense would not aim at our nuclear deterrence potential. Such guarantees must be based on objective decisions, which will help evaluate the compliance of missile defense with the declared goal of the deterrence of missile threats coming from regions outside of Europe,” Matviyenko said.