MORAG, Poland, May 26 (UPI) -- Stationing U.S. missiles on Polish soil will strengthen Poland's security, the country's defense minister says.
Bogdan Klich welcomed a Patriot missile battery and its 100 U.S. troops in a ceremony attended by U.S. Ambassador to Poland Lee Feinstein and U.S. Army officers, RIA Novosti reported Wednesday.
The deployment would go a long way "in strengthening the strategic nature of relations between the United States and Poland," Klich said.
The United States has set up a temporary military base close to the northern Polish town of Morag, 50 miles from the Russian border, under an agreement signed with Poland in February.
U.S. troops will train Polish forces at the base, which will become permanent in 2012, RIA Novosti said.
Moscow has reacted strongly to the move, demanding the base be moved away from the border.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said the deployment "did not enhance regional security and cooperation," the news agency reported.
