US missile defence rethink removes main irritant for Moscow – Russian general

(Interfax – Moscow, March 19, 2013) The US decision not to go ahead with the fourth stage of development of the European missile defence system removes an important point of disagreement between the Russian Federation and the USA in their negotiations on this issue, former Chief of the Main Staff of the Strategic Missile Troops Col-Gen Viktor Yesin believes.

“The decision not to go ahead with the deployment of enhanced combat capability SM-3 IIB antimissiles in Europe opens a window of opportunity to achieve a compromise between Russia and the USA on European missile defence. It seems to me that with the cancellation of the SM-3 IIB, the main irritant for Russia in US missile defence development plans has been removed,” Yesin told Interfax-AVN on Tuesday (19 March). (Passage omitted: background)

Yesin stressed that, according to the designers, it was this type of antimissile that was capable of intercepting intercontinental ballistic missiles, and not only short- and medium-range missiles as the SM-3 IA units, with which US ships with the Aegis antimissile system are currently equipped.

“This was the main irritant for Russia in the deployment of European missile defence. Now though everything will depend on politicians’ will. That it, a sensible compromise can be found here, but other Russian demands to do with the US infrastructure moving closer to Russian borders have to be taken into account too,” Yesin said.

In particular, he explained, another aspect that should be settled is the deployment of US missile defence in Poland, close to the border of Kaliningrad Region. “This though is now up to the negotiators,” he told the agency. (Passage omitted: background)