Kremlin lashes out

The Age

Tuesday February 9, 2010

MOSCOW

RUSSIA has attacked a US decision to site interceptor missiles in Romania, saying the move imperils President Barack Obama's much-vaunted "reset" of relations between the two countries and the final stages of nuclear arms reduction talks.The Kremlin said it was taken aback by news that Romania's top military body had agreed to host US SM-3 interceptor missiles and other military facilities in response to an alleged missile threat from Iran.Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he had demanded an "exhaustive explanation" from Washington, citing a treaty that would prevent US ships delivering the necessary equipment via the Black Sea.Dmitry Rogozin, Russia's ambassador to NATO, said on Russian state television: "How can we stay calm when alien military infrastructure, US military infrastructure, has come to the Black Sea area?"Mr Obama last year dropped a Bush-era plan to install a missile defence shield in the Czech Republic and Poland.

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