Rice Signs U.S.-Poland 'Missile Shield' Deal, Russia To Sign Air Defense Pact With Belarus

August 20, 2008 7:45 p.m. EST

Warsaw, Poland (AHN) - U.S. State Secretary Condoleezza Rice and Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski signed here on Wednesday an official agreement to base U.S. missile interceptors in Poland.

Hours after the signing, Russia's foreign ministry issued a warning that Moscow will respond to the so-called missile shield beyond diplomatic means, but did not elaborate on the statement.

On Tuesday, Moscow announced it will sign an air defense system agreement with Belarus this fall. Kremlin aide Sergei Prikhodko said Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, met at the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Tuesday and agreed to sign the deal in Moscow this fall.

The ministry refuted Rice's comments after the signing that the 10 Patriot missiles to be based in Poland were "aimed at no one." It said the missiles target Russian missiles and not long-range missiles from the Middle East as U.S. and Poland claim.