Minister: Russia won't deploy missiles near Poland [View All]

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Source: Associated Press

– Russia will scrap a plan to deploy missiles near Poland because the U.S. no longer wants to place a missile-defense system in Eastern Europe, a Russian deputy defense minister said Saturday.

Vladimir Popovkin told Ekho Moskvy radio that Obama's move has made the deployment of Iskander short-range missiles in the Kaliningrad region unnecessary.

"Reason has prevailed over ambitions," Popovkin said. "Naturally, we will cancel countermeasures which Russia has planned in response."

Popovkin's statement was the most explicit declaration yet of Russia's intention to scrap the plan after President Barack Obama's decision, announced Thursday, to halt Eastern European missile defense.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090919/ap_on_re_eu/eu_russia_missile_defense