Russia warns over US-Czech shield

[Hamza]

Russia warns over US-Czech shield



Condoleezza Rice signs the agreement in Prague, 8 July 2008
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice signed the US-Czech deal in Prague

Russia's foreign ministry has said it will be forced to react with military means if a US-Czech agreement over a missile defence shield is ratified.

The statement comes hours after the US signed an initial deal to base part of Washington's controversial missile defence system in the Czech Republic.

It said Russia would respond "not with diplomatic, but with military-technical methods" if the system was deployed.

Moscow says siting the system near its borders could weaken its own defence.

It has previously threatened to aim its own missiles at any eventual base in Poland or the Czech Republic.