Makarov: US anti-Missile Shield targets Russia

Makarov further pointed out that the US anti-missile system undermines Russia's strategic plans irrespective of official American declarations. "It is natural that we view this very negatively, because this to some extent can weaken our missile capability," he said.

Moscow and Washington failed to renew the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) before it expired last December. Washington's new plan for the defense system's deployment, originally introduced by George W. Bush, has shifted the location of the system from Eastern Europe to Central Europe, but has done little to ease Russia's concerns that the system is a threat to the country.