MISSILE DEFENSE AS AN ISSUE IN RUSSIA–UNITED STATES RELATIONS

TRAPARA Vladimir (Vladimir Trapara, istraživač saradnik, Institut za međunarodnu politiku i privredu, Beograd), vtrapara@yahoo.com

The history of missile defense as an issue in Russia-U.S. relations is already several decades long. Its current phase began in 2007 with the U.S. decision to deploy its missile defense system in Central and Eastern Europe. In this paper, a summary of the most significant moments in missile defense development is offered being followed by the analysis of the issue regarding its technological and political aspects. The basic argument is that the absence of Russian-American deal on this issue is caused by the U.S. general policy that is aimed at depriving Russia of its independent great power status, which it does not want to give up. The U.S. missile defense, although technologically incapable of hurting Russia, is seen by the latter as part of a broader scope of Washington’s measures aimed against it. Meanwhile, as the means of the American “cleansing“ of the “rogue“ regimes missile defense indirectly threatens Russia accelerating its strategic encirclement. The possibility of overcoming this issue as well as the U.S.-Russian rapprochement is seen as a common threat which could be posed by the rising China.

Keywords: Missile defense, nuclear weapons, Russia, United States, “rogue” states