Missile Shield Still on the Table

After American President Obama’s meeting with Russian leaders President Medvedev and Prime Minister Putin, fears (and some hopes) have spread through the Polish media concerning the fate of the U.S. missile shield that is to be located in Poland and the Czech Republic. As Gazeta Wyborcza reported after the second meeting between the presidents, “Every meeting between the presidents of the U.S. and Russia is important for Poland.”

However, yesterday Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski spoke to the press after being briefed on the results of the Russian-American summit. “We know that a decision will be taken by the United States and its Polish and Czech allies, and not by third parties. And that’s good news,” he stated.

However, during the summit President Obama made no assurances regarding the missile shield, as the main focus was the issue of nuclear disarmament. A study is underway by defence officials to evaluate potential threats, feasibility, and cost-effectiveness of the proposed missile defence system, and its results are due “by the end of summer,” according to U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Stephen Mull, who spoke with Minister Sikorski.

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