Russia Says U.S. Should Scrap Missile Defense Plan

MOSCOW — Russia's foreign minister laid out a tough negotiating position on America's missile defense plans yesterday ahead of a visit by President Bush, saying the best solution would be for the U.S. to scrap the idea altogether.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russian experts were studying the latest American plans — intended to ease Russian concerns about the proposed missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic — but he reaffirmed Moscow's call for Washington to drop them.

"We are convinced that the best way to assuage Russia's concerns ... will be to abandon such plans and turn to a truly collective project," Mr. Lavrov told reporters.

Earlier this month, the American secretaries of state and defense visited Moscow with new proposals that would allow Russia to closely monitor the prospective missile defense sites.

Mr. Lavrov previously has said the proposals reflect the U.S. recognition of Russia's concerns but that Moscow needs to study them in details before replying. Mr. Bush plans to meet with President Putin at Mr. Putin's Black Sea residence on April 6 to try to resolve the missile defense dispute.

Mr. Putin has rejected American arguments that the missile shield is needed to counter a prospective missile threat from Iran. He said the American plan would erode Russia's nuclear deterrent.

Last summer, Putin proposed that America jointly use an early warning radar in Azerbaijan instead. America has promised to consider that Russian offer, but said it couldn't replace its planned facilities in Poland and the Czech Republic.