US and Poland Set Missile Deal

After months of delays, the US and Poland quickly reached agreement on a US missile defense base in Poland: 10 interceptors against ballistic missiles will be based in Poland, relying on a tracking system based in the Czech Republic. Russia’s military support of separatists in Georgia gave speed to the agreement. “The deal reflected growing alarm in countries like Poland, once a conquered Soviet client state, about a newly rich and powerful Russia’s intentions in its former cold war sphere of power,” write Thom Shanker and Nicholas Kulish for the New York Times. In the agreement, Polish troops will operate the base and the US promises prompt military defensive support to Poland in the event of attack. The US has invited Russia to join the missile-defense system, but Russia insists that the US uses such deals to place troops in former Soviet bloc states and weaken Moscow’s influence. As during the Cold War, governments are compelled to select between the US and Russia for alliances and security. – YaleGlobal