Russia Believes U.S. Elections Will Change Missile Shield Policy

Today while President Vladimir Putin attended the 8th International Aviation and Space Salon MAKS-2007. (photo: AP)

Apparently the Russians believe that the plans to install an anti-ballistic missile shield in Europe will go out with the Bush administration. Reuters:

“We say it will be a big mistake by the Czech government to put this radar site on Czech territory,” Yuri Baluyevsky, the Russian military chief of staff, told reporters after meeting Czech Deputy Defense Minister Martin Bartak. Baluyevsky said American and Russian officials would meet in September in Moscow for consultations on the missile shield. He said the Czech Republic should hold off making a decision until after the U.S. presidential election, scheduled for late 2008, to replace President George W. Bush. “A decision will be made by the Czech side only after the evaluation of all conditions, technical and otherwise,” Baluyevsky said. “I and my Russian colleagues simply ask that that process continue through to October-November of 2008, and I think you can all guess why.” Asked by a reporter to clarify, he said: “I do not exclude that a new administration in the United States will re-evaluate the current administration’s decisions on missile defense.”