Interview with Christopher Langton

Colonel Christopher Langton from the International Institute for Strategic Development discussed with Russia Today the U.S.-Russian dispute over the planned anti-missile defence system deployment in Eastern Europe.

Russia Today: Colonel, in your opinion, do U.S. plans for the anti-missile defence system in Europe pose any threat to Russia?

Christopher Langton: The short answer is no but that would be too simplistic. In sheer quantitative terms the plans as they stand cannot in anyway pose a threat to the Russian Strategic Rocket Forces or destabilize the nuclear balance that has been established over many decades. And in qualitative terms these are not the sort of missiles that are likely to be able to intercept first phase Russian missiles.     

RT: Americans are saying that this anti-missile system should be installed in order to prevent the Iranian missiles on North Korean missiles. But those countries do not possess missiles of such a long range. What can you say on that?

C.L.: If we look at the positioning of the interceptors as they are planned, they are not going to appear any time soon, let