War Of Words Between NATO and Russia

"It's better to invest the money was used for the prosperity of the Russian people, to create jobs and modernize the society"

MOSCOW, NATO and Russia, Wednesday (12/07/2011), exchanged harsh statements about programs related to tension-NATO European missile shield.

Russia claimed to have been forced into an arms race by the West, while NATO said Russia is only a waste of money by holding a missile system to counter the NATO defense system.

Commander of Russian Armed Forces, General Nikolai Makarov, said Russia was not going to engage another arms race with Western countries, as happened in the Cold War era. However, Makarov said, the West has forced Russia to do that.

"Russia does not need a new arms race, but we have been forced into the race. Why Russia cut off from Europe? Who actually needs this? We are ready to work together and build a joint missile defense system," said Makarov, in the presence of representatives of military attaches foreign countries in Moscow on Wednesday.

Makarov question, why NATO rejected Moscow's proposal to work together to build anti-missile defense system together.

NATO rejected the Russian proposal, which requires both parties to share some sensitive data and give Moscow the right to vote, to participate in determining when the system will respond to certain attacks.

"Why no one wants to meet us in the middle? That means, the system was built to protect the interests of a person," Makarov said.

NATO's rejection of Russia's proposal sparked outrage Mokswa. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev last month announced that Russia would deploy medium-range cruise missile systems Iskander in Kaliningrad, the Russian territory which lies between Poland and Lithuania, both members of the European Union. Moscow also enable tracking radar missile attack on Kaliningrad.

Sheer waste of money

Responding to Russia's angry reaction was Secretary General of NATO, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said Russia's move to build a missile defense system to deal with NATO was futile and a waste of money alone.

"The money is very valuable to be wasted, if the Russians began to invest heavily to put up a defense system against enemy imitation that was not there. It's better to invest the money was used for the prosperity of the Russian people, by creating jobs and modernize community, "said Rasmussen, ahead of a meeting of foreign ministers of NATO members in Brussels, Belgium on Wednesday.

NATO has repeatedly emphasized that the missile shield system to be held in Europe is not directed against Russia, but rather aims to protect the members of NATO in Europe from possible ballistic missile attack from Iran. However, Russia does not believe in it, and said that the missile defense system directed against Russia's missile arsenal. (AFP / DHF)

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