“We cannot and will not accept legally binding or other constraints that would limit our ability to defend ourselves, our allies and our partners. The Unites States will continue to insist on having the flexibility to respond to the evolving ballistic missile threat,” Rose stated at the United States and Global Missile Defense Conference in Washington, DC.
Rose noted, at present, the cooperation between Russia and the United States on missile defense is suspended following the deterioration of relations amid the Ukrainian conflict. Prior to the suspension, Russia repeatedly requested “legally binding” assurances from the United States to guarantee that its domestic and regional missile defense architecture is not aimed at Russian strategic ballistic missiles.
Rose stressed the 2010 Ballistic Missile Defense Review makes it clear that US missile defense systems are neither designed nor directed against Russia or China’s strategic nuclear forces, but it is to address the regional threats from the Middle East and North Korea as well as to enhance the regional deterrence.
The United States expanded the development and deployment of ballistic missile defense systems following its 2002 withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty.
The ABM Treaty, signed by the United States and then Soviet Union in 1972, aimed to limit the numbers and locations of both countries’ ABM sites.
In recent years, the United States has taken significant steps in deploying ballistic missile defense systems throughout Europe under the European Phased Adaptive Approach.
The program includes the deployment of Aegis ballistic missile defense-capable ships deployed in the Mediterranean Sea and Aegis Ashore interceptor sites in Romania and Poland.
