The interview came after the White House announced that it would continue talks on the deployment of this new American anti-missile defense system on South Korean territory.
"Moscow and Beijing have perfectly legitimate arguments to make against the deployment of the THAAD system in South Korea, especially given the fact that Seoul earlier tried to develop its own missile defense system. So Russia is perfectly justified in not wanting THAADs deployed in South Korea," Madden said.
On the other hand, he suggested that the PTHAAD system may help resolve North-South tension regarding joint US-South Korean drills, which have repeatedly been condemned by Pyongyang.
"I suppose that one of the pluses of the deployment of the THAAD system is that it might reduce personnel exercises that the US conducts in South Korea," he reasoned.
He spoke as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi protested against the deployment of US anti-missile systems in the region during a joint press-conference, urging Washington to respect the legitimate concerns held by Russia and China.
If it is deployed, it will directly impact the security strategies of China and Russia, Mr. Wang said. Sergey Lavrov, in his turn, stressed that North Korea's actions should not be used as an excuse for escalating tensions.
