Warsaw and Washington have signed a preliminary deal on basing part of a US missile shield in Poland, in the face of Moscow's vehement opposition.
US and Polish negotiators signed the accord in a ceremony after two days of talks in the Polish capital.
Chief US negotiator John Rood said it was 'an important agreement for the security of the US, for the security of Poland and the security of NATO'.
Washington plans to base 10 interceptor missiles in Poland plus a radar facility in the neighbouring Czech Republic by 2011-2013 to complete a system already in place in the US, Greenland and Britain.
Washington insists the shield, which was endorsed by all 26 NATO member states earlier this year, is to fend off potential missile attacks by ‘rogue states,’ notably Iran.
Russia’s Interfax news agency quoted a foreign ministry source as saying that the timing of the missile defence deal indicates the system is aimed at Russia.
However White House spokeswoman Dana Perino claimed that US President George W Bush's plan for missile defence is in no way aimed at Russia.
She also claimed that 'it is not even logically possible' for it to be aimed at Russia given how Russia could overwhelm it.
The plan, however, has become a major source of tension with Moscow.
It considers it a security threat designed to undermine Russia's nuclear deterrent, and has vowed a firm response if the Czechs and Poles go ahead.
