Belarus Criticizes Planned US Anti-Missile Sites in Poland, Czech Republic

Belarus' Air Force Chief Igor Azaryonok is warning that the deployment of U.S. missile defense systems in Poland and the Czech Republic will increase military tensions in the region. Igor Azaryonok said Tuesday in Minsk that his country does not have the types of weapons the U.S. missile defense systems are designed to destroy.

Poland lies along Belarus' western border, while the Czech Republic lies further to the southwest. On Monday, a senior Russian military commander warned that Moscow is capable of targeting the proposed missile defense sites in the Czech Republic and Poland. General Nikolai Solovtsov said Russia would be able to start building intermediate and short-range missiles if the Kremlin drops out of an arms treaty with the United States.

白俄罗斯空防军司令阿扎里耶诺科警告说，美国在波兰和捷克共和国部署导弹防御体系，将加强该地区的军事紧张局势。阿扎里耶诺科星期二在明斯克说，白俄罗斯没有美国导弹防御系统设计摧毁的武器类型。

波兰位于白俄罗斯西部，捷克共和国位于更远的白俄罗斯西南方向。俄罗斯高级军事指挥官索洛夫佐夫将军星期一警告说，俄罗斯有能力打击到捷克共和国和波兰计划建设导弹防御体系的地点。索洛夫佐夫将军说，如果俄罗斯退出和美国签订的武器条约，完全有能力重新开始制造中程和短程导弹。