Ryabkov urges Russian and US to reach agreement on missile defense issue

Russia and the United States could still reach agreement on the missile defense issue but time is running out, RIA-Novosti reports quoting the Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.

“When the implementation of the third and then fourth and subsequent stages of the phased adaptive approach on the [U.S.] global defense system begins, the situation could alter for us,” RIA-Novosti quotes Sergei Ryabkov as saying.

Ryabkov once again stated Moscow’s demand to be provided with legally binding guarantees that US and NATO missiles will not be aimed at Russia, warning that otherwise unspecified “compensatory” countermeasures would follow.

NATO Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow indicated on Thursday that a compromise with Moscow on the US missile defense system in Europe is possible, despite the current deadlock.