NEW YORK (UN). Oct 13 (Interfax) - The deployment of elements of the U.S. missile defense system on the territories of other countries threatens their security, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
"With appearance of U.S. missile defense systems, the populations of these countries become pawns of the Pentagon," Russian Defense Ministry official Alexander Yemelyanov said at a Russian-Chinese briefing on missile defense held on the sidelines of the First Committee of the UN General Assembly on Thursday.
"The placement of U.S. missile defense systems on the territories of its ally states creates considerable risks to the sovereignty and security of these countries," he said.
"The deployment of advanced elements of the U.S. missile defense system threatens the environmental future of their allies. If the missile defense systems are used, the debris from destroyed ballistic missiles will fall on the territory of the U.S. allies," Yemelyanov said.
A U.S. command and communications system is used for planning, preparing and using the missile defense systems, he said. "It means that Washington will decide who should be defended and when," he said.