BEIJING. Oct 15 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia will ignore allegations by some U.S. officials that the United States may locate elements of its missile defense in the Caucasus, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said.
"We base our moves on what the American head of state says. He said there will be no [missile defense elements] in Europe. We are satisfied with this statement, but it's not very appropriate to make surmises about what will happen afterward," Putin told reporters in China.
"[U.S. President Barack] Obama says one thing, [U.S. Assistant Defense Secretary Alexander] Vershbow says another. It's hard to find out whom the Americans have in charge of foreign policy," Putin said.
He also said there had been "no euphoria" over Obama's decision to scrap the plan to deploy missile defense elements in Poland and the Czech Republic.
"We made a very restrained, calm reaction to it. In any case, the leadership of the country showed understanding and gratitude for it. We believe it was a correct and courageous decision on the part of President Obama," Putin said.
"As for subsequent attempts by individual [U.S.] officials to renounce that statement by their president, we consider them strange, but it's not our responsibility to lay down to law within the administration," he said.
Asked by Interfax how Russia would react if the U.S. does decide to deploy missile defense elements in the Caucasus, Putin said: "If there are any decisions made, there will be a reaction. Of course, there will be a reaction, that's absolutely obvious. We'll try make ourselves secure in any case, and we've got all the resources for this."
However, "any unilateral moves that in any way upset the strategic balance will lead to a response and to an arms race," he said.
It is the aim of Russia "to find, via dialogue with its partners, including American, common solutions that would strengthen security and not destroy it," Putin said.