Russia Test-Fires Missile; Medvedev’s Cold War Talk
Today Russia successfully test-fired the new RS-24 intercontinental ballistic missile, which is designed to defend against missile shields like the two planned in Poland and the Czech Republic. (AFP)
This is third time in two years Russia fired the RS-24; the first occurred in May 2007, and the second in December 2007.
Spokesman Nikolai Solovtsov said, “The targets that were set were reached. The tasks were fully carried out,” the commander of Russia’s strategic missile forces…The deployment of the RS-24 missiles, which have a detachable warhead, strengthens the military options of the Russian missile forces in overcoming missile defence systems.”
Russia’s Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin want President-Elect Barack Obama to reverse the Bush administration’s plans for missile defense shields in Poland and the Czech Republic. In fact, the AFP reports that Medvedev called the current administration “extremely inflexible.”
CBS News reports that in the past six months, the “soft-spoken” Russian president may have been employing Cold War rhetoric and tactics. Russia aggressively attacked and occupied Georgia, and Medvedev said America’s economic problems have “now transformed into a full-scale international financial crisis.”
In addition to blaming the U.S. for the global financial crisis, Russia has threatened to deploy missiles on the Polish border if the U.S. goes through with its plans in Eastern Europe.
Tags: Barack Obama, Czech Republic, Dmitry Medvedev, George Bush, Kremlin, Poland, RS-24, Russia, Vladimir Putin