Deja Vu with BMD: The Improbability of Russia-NATO Missile Defense

Summary:

Consistent attempts by the US and NATO to cooperate on ballistic missile defenses have long divided Russia and the West. The failed talks on this issue have built a foundation of frustration that has reinforced the general lack of trust among the parties on this issue. Each US and Russian administration for the past twenty years has declared its commitment to collaborate on joint Russian-American BMD projects.

Despite varying enthusiasm for NATO missile defense spending in European countries, NATO has always endorsed cooperating with Moscow on BMD if possible, if for no other reason than to dispel Russian concerns about any resulting system. Russia and the West have tried different approaches to overcome their differences, but so far nothing has worked for long.

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