Russia condemns NATO missile system in Spain

MOSCOW - Russia criticizes U.S. efforts to add one more NATO missile system to follow a new agreement allowing U.S. warships to dock on the coast of Spain.

The addition of anti-missile warship shows "a significant improvement over the reach of U.S. anti-missile in Europe" and "a new agreement with Spain could be certain to raise concern," Reuters quoted the phrase from the Russian Foreign Ministry yesterday (06/10/2011) .

This statement came after Spain agreed to let four NATO ships in the territorial waters as part of a program previously agreed military alliance with Europe.

Russian Foreign Ministry threatened to halt cooperation with the U.S. in a joint missile system deal further.

"If this continues unchecked, the opportunity to change the missile defenses of the confrontation that became the subject of cooperation will disappear," the ministry added.

U.S. and NATO plan to deploy ships with anti-ballistic missiles in the Mediterranean followed by a ground-based system in Romania, Poland, and Turkey.

The Russian government has long opposed Nato plans to deploy anti-missile shield in Europe, arguing that the move was not to secure Washington's allies in Europe, but is effectively aimed at Russia.