Russia wants guarantees from U.S. over missile shield in Romania

Moscow wants to receive legal guarantees from the United States that its future missile defense shield in Romania will not target Russia’s strategic nuclear forces, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

Moscow was keeping a sharp eye on the U.S.-Romania agreement, which had been reached earlier Tuesday, on the deployment of U.S. interceptor missiles at a former Romanian airbase in Deveselu, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“Russia is following the development of the situation most closely, taking into account that, according to our estimates, the planned missile defense system may pose risks for Russian strategic nuclear deterrence forces in the future,” the statement said.

“In this situation the necessity of legal guarantees from the U. S. that its missile defense system will not be aimed against Russia’s strategic nuclear forces becomes even more crucial,” it said.