By RIA Novosti,
Warsaw : Poland will only allow US to deploy a missile defence base in its territory if it can be shown that this will improve national security, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.
“The American shield will be deployed here only if US modernise the country’s armed forces,” Tusk said Friday.
According to the US plan, 10 missile interceptors will be deployed in Poland and a radar site in neighbouring Czech Republic.
“Without damaging relations with the US, we would like to obtain a result that will demonstrably raise our security,” Tusk said.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski told the news conference that if the base was deployed in Poland, Warsaw was ready for Russia to inspect it.
However, he said: “Don’t confuse this with the direct presence of Russian servicemen at the US missile defence base.”
On Thursday, the US House of Representatives reduced funding for the project by 52 percent approving a sum of $370.8 million.
The Bush administration had originally requested $712 million in funding for the European component of the missile shield in 2009.
Moscow has already protested against the US move, saying the shield would threaten Russia’s national security.