RUSSIA:Russia has called for special tri-lateral talks with the EU and US over the planned deployment of a US missile shield in Europe, suggesting it could evolve into a new forum for the three blocs.
The anti-missile shield has become the most visible in a growing series of acrimonious exchanges between the former superpower rivals, which also includes world trade talks, global energy supplies and Iran's nuclear programme.
Standing by previous comments from President Vladimir Putin and other Kremlin figures, the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, described the shield in its current form as "unacceptable", arguing that it would trigger a fundamental shift in the strategic balance in Europe between Nato and Russia.
Mr Lavrov's comments suggest the Kremlin will accept Washington's offer of closer discussions on the shield, which it believes would protect Europe and the US from rogue attacks originating in the Middle East.
In a separate contradictory message yesterday, Mr Lavrov described a US state department report on Russia's human rights record as a politicised attack.
Mr Lavrov said the missile shield should not be installed in central European countries such as Poland or the Czech Republic without detailed talks involving the EU and Russia. "Russia is ready to take part in these discussions at all levels and in any format," the foreign minister said.
"We favour an integrated approach to solving the problems of the Euro-Atlantic region in a trilateral format, including Russia, the EU and the US," he said, arguing that it would build a positive bridge between Moscow and Washington.
At the same time, he dismissed US justifications for the shield, arguing that there was no threat now or in the foreseeable future to either the US or Europe from sophisticated long-range missiles fired from hostile states such as Iran or North Korea.
Warning that this non-existent threat would become a self-fulfilling reality, Mr Lavrov suggested trilateral efforts to counter what Moscow perceives as the real dangers to world peace. "Should imaginary constructs get in the way of the flourishing trilateral efforts of Russia, the EU and the US to solve real problems in the Middle East, the crisis in Iraq and Afghanistan and Iran's nuclear programme?" he asked. "It is these problems that really threaten our continent's security."
Mr Putin and his generals have argued that the missile shield is intended to challenge Russia's current capabilities. Some military figures have warned that if the system were developed, then the host sites would become new Russian nuclear targets.
Separately, Russia's foreign ministry claimed a new US report on human rights and democracy in Russia was intended to encourage a regime change. The report attacked the centralisation of power in the Kremlin and the weakness of the Duma and the judiciary as a counter-balance. It also highlighted corruption and media self-censorship.
"The report is obviously politicised in its nature and fails to reflect the real state of affairs," the ministry said.