Europe News
EU seeks to ease Russian fears over US anti-missile defence
Mar 1, 2007, 17:19 GMT
Wiesbaden, Germany - European Union defence chiefs on Thursday sought to ease Russian concerns over plans for a US anti- missile system in the Czech Republic and Poland and said the 27- nation bloc wanted 'solid' relations with Moscow.
EU chief diplomat Javier Solana, attending a meeting of the bloc's defence ministers in the German city of Wiesbaden, said every EU country was free to decide whether or not to accept the US system.
'Poland the Czech Republic do not represent a threat to anybody,' said Solana.
While it was 'questionable' whether the EU faced any security threat today, the situation could change in the future, said Solana. He added, however, that the bloc was 'not considering the establishment' of a similar anti-missile system.
Earlier German Defence Minister Franz Josef Jung told reporters the US plan to establish a radar station in the Czech Republic and an underground missile silo in Poland did not pose a security threat to Russia.
Jung also said the US plan should be discussed within NATO.
The US initiative has sparked an angry reaction from Moscow, with Russian President Vladimir Putin angrily denouncing it at the Munich Security Conference last month.
Solana insisted that since Putin's outburst, 'the situation is much more calm.'
'We must do our utmost...to have good, solid relations with Russia,' said Solana, adding that the international community needed to discuss issues like Iran's nuclear programme and Middle East violence with Moscow.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-AgenturCOMMENT
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Older Talkback
page: 1
You sure do babble Al. Lots of key strokes, little substance.
'US may not do well this time around, due to economic weakness.'
Gee, #1 may not be able to assert itself with #14...
Rank Country GDP (millions of USD) 1994 dollars.
1 United States 12,455,068
2 Japan 4,505,912
3 Germany 2,781,900
4 People's Republic of China 2,228,862
5 United Kingdom 2,192,553
6 France 2,110,185
7 Italy 1,723,044
8 Spain 1,123,691
9 Canada 1,115,192
10 Brazil 794,098
11 South Korea 787,624
12 India 785,468
13 Mexico 768,438
14 Russia 763,720
15 Australia 700,672
16 Netherlands 594,755
17 Switzerland 365,937
18 Belgium 364,735
19 Turkey 363,300
20 Sweden 354,115
21 Saudi Arabia 309,778
22 Austria 304,527
23 Poland 299,151
24 Indonesia 287,217
25 Norway 283,920
26 Denmark 254,401
27 South Africa 240,152
28 Greece 213,698
29 Ireland 196,388
30 Iran 196,343
31 Finland 193,176
32 Argentina 183,309
33 Hong Kong, PRC 177,722
34 Thailand 176,602
35 Portugal 173,085
36 Venezuela 138,857
37 Malaysia 130,143
38 Israel 123,434
39 Czech Republic 122,345
40 Colombia 122,309
41 Singapore 116,764
42 Chile 115,248
43 Pakistan 110,732
44 Hungary 109,154
45 New Zealand 109,041
46 United Arab Emirates 104,204
47 Algeria 102,257
48 Nigeria 98,951
49 Romania 98,559
50 Philippines 98,306
The rank is in Trillions, not billions.
If the Ruski's want to stop the missile defense, why don't they offer to stop selling Iran the means to arm them?
which moron is zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.... economic strength is not only expressed in gdp... u idiot....
'economic strength is not only expressed in gdp'
It is the best indicator, you idiot.
page: 1
AlMar 1st, 2007 - 19:35:40
It will be interesting how this develops. The EU may be hedging the Russians will backdown, as they have done in the past. There is also the possibility, the Russians have figured how this will turnout and already made their decision prior to confronting EU, US and NATO. This mean they are just waiting for the opportune date to walk out of INF. Europe may once again come under the protection of US nuclear umbrella, and hence US diktat. Russia will be back as a potent force which could takeout every European cities. Because the Russians are far weaker then US or NATO. A trilateral loose axis between Russia, China and Inda may develop over the coming decade countering NATO. We are living through a lot of flux, bought on by the failure of the US, on three fronts, economic, political and warfare. Just as in 1989, one didn't know how it will end up in 1992. How the world will re-orientate in 3 years from now is anybodys guess, one has an inkling just as the USSR didn't fare well back then, US may not do well this time around, due to economic weakness.
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