WASHINGTON - Poland said Friday it has reached an agreement in principle with the United States on plans to install a missile defense system on Polish territory.
U.S., Poland settle issues on missile defense
February 2, 2008 at 1:19AM
Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski said that, after meetings with U.S. officials, he is satisfied that the United States will deal with security problems that Poland wanted addressed as part of an eventual deal.
The announcement should add momentum to a project that the Bush administration has said it hopes to start building this year. The program, a major source of tension with Russia, had looked stalled since the Polish government of Donald Tusk sought new demands after taking office in November.
Sikorski did not outline the terms of the deal, but in a joint appearance with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice the two officials suggested that Washington would help with Polish air defenses, as Warsaw had sought.
Sikorski said that negotiators would continue to work on the details of an agreement that would allow the United States to install 10 interceptors as part of a long-range European missile defense system.
"We are not at the end of the road as regards negotiations. We are in the middle of the road," he said. "We have an agreement in principle."
Moscow has threatened to retarget nuclear missiles at Poland to counter what it sees as a U.S. attempt to undermine Russian military deterrent.
The United States has dismissed Russian concerns, saying that the missile-interceptor system is intended to protect Western countries from missiles fired from Iran and other rogue regimes and would be impotent against Russia's massive arsenal.
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In interviews with the Star Tribune, Ryan described life before and after the Russian invasion in the country, where she’s worked to secure the border and help refugees flee war-torn areas.
