Marcus Papadopoulos: World becoming dangerous place due to US obsession with global dominance

Press TV has interviewed Marcus Papadopoulos, a publisher and editor of Politics First in London, about Russian President Vladimir Putin strongly criticizing the deployment of US missile system in Eastern Europe near Russia.

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: How do you feel about this missile system set up in Romania?

Papadopoulos: It is quite simply a grave threat to peace not just in Europe but in the wider world. President Putin was correct when he said that the going live of the American missile defense shield is a violation of the INF Treaty. The INF Treaty, which was signed in 1987 between the Soviet Union and the United States, prohibited the stationing of long-distance ballistic and cruise missiles and of course the American defense shield in Europe, which is partly in Romania and partly in Poland, comprises missiles which are of a long-distance nature.

So the INF Treaty has been violated by the Americans. And secondly the American missile defense shield is without a doubt aimed at the Russian strategic nuclear deterrent. When the plans for this shield were announced about ten years ago, the Americans and their allies in Europe argued that the missile defense shield was aimed at protecting Europe from Iran and North Korea. Now we knew at that time that Russia was the actual target, but the Russian government said to the Americans, ‘Why don’t we work together on a joint missile defense shield for Europe?’ Of course the Americans were not interested in that.

Now fast forward to 2016, the West has lifted sanctions on Iran and there is an agreement between the West and Iran, and so the argument ten years ago from the Americans and the Europeans that this missile defense shield is partly aimed at Iran has now been exposed again to have been a lie, because now that there is an agreement between Iran and America, let’s hold the Americans to that. They argued the missile defense shield was aimed at protecting Europe from Iran. There is an agreement now, so therefore there is no need for an American missile defense shield. Of course we all know that Russia has been the target from day one.

Press TV: So then obviously the question becomes how will Russia counter this setting up of these US missile systems throughout Europe?

Papadopoulos: Throughout its history Russia has always met any threat posed to its security and the American missile defense shield would be no exception. Of course there has been talk that the Russians may move Iskander ballistic missiles to the Kaliningrad enclave. There is also the possibility that the Russians might move the same missiles, the Iskander to the Crimea because part of the American missile defense shield is of course based in Romania. Romania is not that far from the Crimea and there are many other options available to Russia.

But let’s be sure about one thing that the American missile defense shield is a threat to Russia, therefore it is a threat to European peace, and to global peace, and the American missile defense shield will be met with a Russian response, an appropriate response, but without a doubt an effective response and quite rightly so as well Russia has every right under international law to national security. The Americans do not respect that and that is why the world today is becoming a more and more dangerous place because of the American obsession with trying to enhance and strengthen its global dominance at the expense of others and namely the Russian Federation.

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