Some Senators Rightfully Concerned over the Russian “Red Button” Missile Defense Demands

Michaela Dodge / April 16, 2011

Last week, the Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergey Ivanov caused a stir among the U.S. and European proponents of missile defenses.

Talking about the Obama Administration’s recent proposal for the Russian participation in the Phased Adaptive Approach, a missile defense plan for Europe and the United States, Ivanov bluntly stated that the Russian Federation “insist[s] on only one thing: that we’re an equal part of [U.S. missile defense system in Europe].”

To make absolutely clear what Ivanov means, he elaborated: “In practical terms, that means our office will sit, for example, in Brussels and agrees on a red-button push to start an anti-missile, regardless of whether it starts from Poland, Russia or the U.K.” On April 14, 39 U.S. Senators took the first step to make sure that the Obama Administration will not concede to these Russian demands, which would inevitably undermine the security of the United States and U.S. allies. (more…)