Putin: We'll Use 'Strike Forces' Against Missile Shield

If NATO builds a missile shield near Russia without Russia’s help and involvement, the Kremlin will deploy “strike forces” and even “new nuclear technologies” in response, Vladimir Putin warned last night in an interview with Larry King. Asked about Dmitry Medvedev’s “new arms race” comments yesterday, Putin replied that Russia had a proposal for a joint missile security effort on the table. But if that fails, “Russia will have to ensure its own security.”

Russia would “put in place new strike forces … against the new threats which will have been created along our borders,” Putin continued, according to Reuters’ transcript. “New missile, new nuclear technologies will be put in place.” He then added, “That’s not our choice, we don’t want that to happen. This is no threat on our part.” (More Vladimir Putin stories.)