Missile defense

Russia to Japan: US missile defense in Asia-Pacific poses security risks

Moscow has brought the threats posed by the deployment of US missile defense systems in the Asia-Pacific region to Tokyo’s attention, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said following a meeting with his Japanese counterpart.

“We turned the attention of our Japanese colleagues to the threats posed to the region by the deployment of the US global missile defense system. Russia believes that regional security cannot be provided by military blocs, but through equal and universal dialogue based on the principles of integrity and security,” Lavrov said at a meeting with his Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida, as quoted by RIA Novosti news agency. 

Earlier this year, the US and South Korea unveiled plans to deploy THAAD [Terminal High Altitude Area Defense] antimissiles by the end of 2017. China strongly objects to the move, saying it would compromise its own capabilities. Despite growing Russian and Chinese concerns over security in the region, Washington argues that THAAD only aims to counter threats from North Korea by keeping Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions at bay.