Polish President Warns Obama Not to Abandon Missile Defense

Kaczynski Concedes That Base Is Not Vital To Security

by Jason Ditz, March 09, 2009

Though Polish President Lech Kaczynski conceded that the planned US missile defense base was not vital “from the point of view of our security from so-called rogue states,” he demanded that President Obama go through with the deal signed by President Bush.

Citing the reports that the Obama Administration was offering to abandon the controversial missile defense base in return for Russian help against the Iranian government’s civilian nuclear program, Kaczynski said he thought it “raises the question of whether the victim of such an agreement should be a very loyal ally like Poland,” adding that abandoning the project would “not be a friendly gesture” toward the Polish government.

The Obama Administration has been non-committal about continuing the project, beset by delays and rising costs as well as questions of its strategic merit. The administration seems interested in using its abandonment of the project as a chance to improve relations with Russia, and it seems unclear if the threat of damaging ties with Poland will change the policy.

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