MOSCOW. April 3 (Interfax) - Russia and the United States do not cooperate in missile defense issues because Washington refuses to provide Moscow with legally-binding guarantees that the U.S.-planned global missile defense shield will not be directed against Russia, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said.
"I need to say that cooperation does not exist in this sphere," Ryabkov told Interfax on Thursday, when commenting on U.S. officials' statements that such cooperation with Russia could be suspended.
"The American side is well aware of the fact that opportunities for such cooperation could emerge if Washington agreed to heed our demand to provide reliable and legally-binding guarantees that the global missile defense system being built by the U.S. together with its NATO allies and certain countries in the Asian region and the Middle East will not be directed against [Russia]," he said.