The
Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO considers that urgent
conclusion of multi-lateral agreements on creation of an anti-ballistic
missile defence (ABM) system for Europe jointly with the USA,
NATO and the European Union is a challenging and strategically
important task for Russia.
Implementation of this project is of global significance.
At the expected rates of nuclear missile proliferation, the
number of potential threats of missile attacks against Russia,
the US, Europe and any country of the world will only broaden.
A joint ABM system of the technologically developed states
and Russia as a country with one of the largest nuclear missile
potentials will become the most important element for protection
of the planet from nuclear threats in the 21st century. For
Europe creation of ballistic missile defence (BMD) jointly
with Russia will represent the first large step towards creation
of such a system and will be also important for raising the
efficiency of nuclear non-proliferation policy.
For Russia a joint ABM system will bring not only security,
but also new technologies, orders for the military-industrial
complex and jobs. It is especially important that this will
become a qualitatively new stage in the development of Russia’s
armed forces marking their actual orientation on strategic
cooperation with the developed European states and presenting
an alternative to the neoimperialist projects and approaches
the Russian top military officials and politicians have been
so enthusiastic about.
Objective need and huge political, defence and humanitarian
potential of a joint ABM system have been obvious for a long
time already. That is why our party put forward an initiative
of creation of a joint Russian-European BMD with participation
of the US and NATO as early as in 1998, over ten years ago.
Attention which the then leaders of Russia and the US showed
to this initiative reflected their understanding of the importance
of the issue. However, they finally lacked strategic vision
of the perspective. Lack of political will together with inertia
of mutual distrust, ambitions, reactionary nature and sluggishness
of bureaucratic structures did not allow to progress in the
implementation of this issue then.
Today reaching of an agreement on creation of a joint BMD
for Europe is again turning into reality.
The fact that US President Barack Obama abolished unilateral
plans of deployment of the elements of the ABM system in the
Eastern Europe and statements made by US Secretary of Defence
on cooperation with Russia offer new prospects.
The Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO calls the leaders
of Russia, the USA, the European Union and all responsible
politicians to use this chance and create an efficient joint
Russian-European BMD.
Sergei Mitrokhin,
Chairman of the Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO
See also:
Russia's
ABM Initiatives
Russia-US
Relations
Russia-EU
Relations
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