Europe would respond “very badly” if the United States decides to deploy a national missile defense system without first reaching an agreement with Russia and discussing the issue with the Europeans, Javier Solana said here Monday.
“If the decision is taken without a certain agreement with Russia and without the debate with European leaders, it would be very badly taken,” the former NATO secretary general told reporters here.
“That would create some tensions in the Alliance, of course not immediately, but the Europeans will have to think what they have to do,” he said, without giving further details.
Solana was to meet later with US Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott.
The United States is to decide later this year whether or not to deploy the national missile defense system designed to fight attacks from rogue states.
Such a deployment would require a revision of the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty between the United States and Russia.
Russia is opposed to such a revision.
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