Putin: Russia Ready to Respond to U.S. Missile Defense

[Purveyor]

KORENOVSK (Krasnodar Territory), June 14 (RIA Novosti)

Russia has every possibility to provide proper response to the projected deployment of a U.S. missile shield in Europe, though Moscow would like to see the U.S. plans revised, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

“We should look forward and give response [to these plans] in a timely manner,” Putin told servicemen at a Russian air base.

“Of course, our partners should better not do this [implement their missile shield plans] as this move would drive our response,” he added.

The president stressed that regardless to the rhetoric western politicians use to describe the shield deployment plans, “this remains a part of the arms race.”

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http://en.ria.ru/mlitary_news/20120614/174030933.html

[L0oniX]

1. ...because we have so much money for this too.

[skinnydipinacid]

2. Putin's calling out Obama

I say this for two reasons. Obama's already been caught in a hot-mic saying he'd have more flexibility after the election. With the way the political campaigns are going right now Putin may see Obama's reelection chances growing less certain. They see the polling numbers, they follow the politics... they are just as aware of the political ebb and flow in the States as we are.

The way I see it is Putin can roll the dice and wait or better his chances by strong-arming Obama and his administration into acting. If Putin pushes through with the latter, it'll be a crap shoot whether Obama will be doing what is best for our country and the rest of the world or calculating what decision would be best for November 6th, 2012.

[Cali_Democrat]

3. Don't quit your day job to become a foreign policy analyst. n/t