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Foreign Reactions to US Missile Defense Plans "Canada and the Russian Federation agree that the 1972 Antiballistic
Missile Treaty is a cornerstone of strategic stability and an important
foundation for international efforts on nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation."
("Putin Pays A Visit To Canada, Winning Support On Missile Issue,"
New York Times, December 19, 2000) "The United States is a country with the largest and most sophisticated
arsenals of both nuclear and conventional weapons in the world and now
it is engaging itself to develop NMD and TMD ... The Chinese side expresses
serious concern and in particular if the US is to develop TMD and to include
Taiwan, this is something that will be by no means accepted by the Chinese
side." ("China warns future US president over missile shield,"
Agence France Presse, November 2 2000) Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Zhang
Qiyue "We hope the U.S. will heed the rational call of the international
community and give up its NMD plan." ("China welcomes Bush with
NMD poser," Deutsche Presse-Agentur, December 14, 2000) "[Missile Defense] cannot fail to relaunch the arms race in the world." ("U.S. Tries Defusing Allies' Opposition to Missile Defense," New York Times, February 4, 2001. ======== GERMANY ======== "There is no doubt that within NATO, within the Alliance, we have to talk about what the repercussion and potential implications (national missile defense) would have for Russia, China and the alliance." ("Germany's Schroeder urges dialogue over US missile defense plan," Agence France Presse, February 3, 2001) Defense Minister Rudolf Scharping "The technical feasibility and the financing of a strategic missile defense are not at all manageable yet." ("Germany Faults U.S. Missile Plan," International Herald Tribune, January 25, 2001) ========== GREENLAND ========== Jonathan Motzfeldt, Prime Minister of Greenland Homerule Government "No one in Greenland wishes to take actions that would lead to recreating
the atmosphere of the cold war era. I am content that NATO has not greeted
the NMD plans with cheers." ("Greenlanders Wary Of A New Role
In U.S. Defenses," New York Times, September 18, 2000) "We believe the deployment of the national missile defense system will damage significantly the established defense system. This would absolutely change the balance of power in the international arena, and this itself is a threat." ("Putin Asks Canada To Mediate With U.S." Washington Post, December 19, 2000) Defense Minister Igor D. Sergeyev "We had three mighty programs to counteract asymmetrically the national missile defense systems of the United States during the period of Reagan's Star Wars... a lot of money was invested in those programs... But we still have them ... and can take them up again." ("Russia Says U.S. Antimissile Plan Means an Arms Race" New York Times, February 6, 2001.) Sergei Ivanov, head of security council "The destruction of the ABM Treaty will result in the annihilation of the whole structure of strategic stability and create prerequisites for a new arms race, including one in outer space." ("Russian Warns US on Missile Defense," Associated Press, February 4, 2001) Yuri Kapralov, arms negotiator ''We have means of penetrating anti-missile defenses which no one else has, which make many envious and some want to cooperate with us." ("Top negotiator says Russia could respond if U.S. violates ABM," Associated Press, November 14, 2000) ============ SOUTH KOREA ============ "The plan [NMD] is technically nonviable and politically undesirable. The only solution to North Korea's missile program (a key reason cited by U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld for its necessity) is a political solution.'' ("Seoul Remains Concerned About NMD," Korea Times, January 29, 2001) ======= SWEDEN ======= "We call on the USA to consider the consequences for disarmament and non-proliferation of developing a national missile defense system, and to refrain from pursuing this project," ("Sweden Urges US to Abandon NMD, Nordic Business Report 02/08/01) ============== UNITED KINGDOM ============== "We have made it clear that any means to go down the road of the National Missile Defence System (NMD) must be, as an absolute pre-condition, by an agreement with the Russians. An agreement to amend the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty would be required. We don't want to see that abrogated unilaterally by the Americans. If this happened, it would be extremely dangerous and could unleash a world arms race involving Russia, China and so on." ("Never say Nuclear," The Hindu, December 3, 2000) Robin Cook, UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs "The Government has repeatedly made clear that it values the stability
which the ABM Treaty provides, and wishes to see it preserved ... At no
point has the Government given the U.S. Administration reason to assume
unqualified cooperation with NMD deployment: nor has the U.S. Administration
at any stage sought such assurances." ("Weapons of Mass Destruction,"
October 24, 2000, Response to Foreign Affairs Committee Eighth Report)
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