Russia questions joint radar facility

MOSCOW, May 27 (UPI) -- Joint use of radar stations will be ruled out if the United States continues to deploy missiles in central Europe, Russian defense ministry officials said.

Plans to place a radar facility in the Czech Republic and 10 interceptor missiles in Poland are strongly opposed by Russia, which says the actions would upset the balance of forces. As a counter Russian officials had offered the U.S. use of radar stations at Gabala in Azerbaijan and Armavir in southern Russia. But that offer could be taken off the table, according to Tuesday's published report by RIA Novosti.

"If the U.S. deploys the third positioning unit in Poland and the Czech Republic, Russia will withdraw its proposals on Armavir and Gabala,"the deputy head of the ministry's international cooperation department, Lt. Gen. Yevgeny Buzhinsky, said.

Washington says it wants to deploy its missile defense shield in central Europe to counter a possible missile threat from Iran or other "rogue" states. But Russia dismisses any nuclear threat from Tehran, suggesting Iran has neither military potential nor interest in attacking its major European trading partners, the report said.

Instead Russian officials see a clear "anti-Russian potential" in the U.S. missile shield plan, according to Novosti.