Russia Vows Missile-Defense Response

Russia's President Vladimir Putin arrives to Guatemala City, Monday, July 2, 2007. Putin is leading Russia's presentation to the International Olympic Committee, which will choose the site of the 2014 Games on Wednesday. (AP Photo/RIA Novosti, Presidential Press Service, Mikhail Klimentyev) (Mikhail Klimentyev - AP)

MOSCOW -- A senior Russian official warned Wednesday that Moscow could put new missiles in western Russia if Washington pursues plans to build a missile defense system in the Czech Republic and Poland.

President Vladimir Putin, who has suggested alternatives to the U.S. plan, said he is sure Russia and the United States can continue to work together despite disagreements. President Bush and Putin met this week at the Bush family home in Kennebunkport, Maine, in an effort to halt the deterioration in U.S.-Russian relations.

Sergei Ivanov, a first deputy prime minister and former defense minister, said Russia would not need to rethink its missile deployments if Washington drops its plans to build the system in Central Europe and accepts Putin's proposal to expand the system and use Russian installations.

But Ivanov, considered a leading contender to win Putin's endorsement in the March presidential contest, warned there would be consequences if the U.S. does not compromise on the issue.

"If our proposal is accepted, then we will have no need to deploy new weapons including missiles in the European part of Russia, including Kaliningrad, in order to parry the threats that could arise _ and they definitely will arise _ if a decision is made to deploy a missile defense system in the Czech Republic and Poland," Ivanov said in a televised remark.

"If our proposal is not accepted, we will take adequate measures. We are already taking them; an asymmetrical and effective response has been found," ITAR-Tass quoted Ivanov as saying. "We know what we are doing."

Putin has also said Russia could deploy missiles in Kaliningrad, which borders Poland and is Russia's westernmost region, if the U.S. pushes ahead with its missile defense plans.

Polish Defense Ministry spokesman Jaroslaw Rybak said Russia made similar threats before Poland joined NATO in 1999.

"I think this is just another step, and the Russians want to show that on the one hand they want to cooperate and then on the other hand they threaten," Rybak said on Poland's TVN24 television.

Putin suggested the U.S. use current or proposed radar sites in Azerbaijan and southern Russia, adding this would eliminate the need for a proposed radar site in the Czech Republic and a battery of 10 interceptor missiles in Poland.

The U.S. says the missiles are intended to protect Europe from the potential threat of a nuclear missile attack from Iran. Russia says the U.S. anti-missile system is really aimed at its nuclear arsenal, and would upset the balance of strategic forces in Europe.

Despite Ivanov's comments, Putin marked the Fourth of July holiday with a statement saying he was certain relations between Russia and the United States would progress despite disagreements.

"We look with certainty to the future of mutually satisfactory working together. I am sure that, despite known disagreements, which are unavoidable in an open and honest dialogue, the policy of comprehensive development of bilateral ties in all areas will continue," Putin said in the statement, released by the Kremlin while Putin was in Guatemala.

Putin last month proposed that the U.S. share the use of a mammoth Russian-leased radar installation in Azerbaijan, aimed south toward Iran, as an early warning system. He suggested an interceptor missile site could be built only if Iran developed the capability of launching nuclear missiles.

Experts have said the Azerbaijan radar system at Gabala is not capable of directing interceptor missiles.

But in Kennebunkport, Putin offered to modernize Gabala, as well as link to the system a new radar facility being built in southern Russia. He also proposed making the shield more regional by bringing in NATO and setting up joint missile launch early warning centers.

In a sign of some progress, the two countries pledged Tuesday to reduce their stockpiles of long-range nuclear weapons "to the lowest possible" level.

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Associated Press Writer Douglas Birch contributed to this report from Moscow.