Russia Prepared to Use "Destructive Force Pre-emptively" Over Ballistic Missile Defense System

Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) in Europe (Czech Republic and Poland) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Russia says it is prepared to use "destructive force pre-emptively" if the US goes ahead with controversial plans for a missile defense system based in Central Europe. The warning came after the Russian defense minister said talks on missile defence were nearing a dead end.

Moscow fears that missile interceptors would be a threat to Russia's security. But the US and Nato say they are intended to protect against attacks from Iran or North Korea.

"A decision to use destructive force pre-emptively will be taken if the situation worsens," chief of the Russian defense staff Gen Nikolai Makarov said.

Two days of talks opened on Thursday in Moscow between Russia, the US and Nato.
Russian Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said the talks were "close to a dead end", but Nato said it remained hopeful of reaching a deal. More...