‘Star Wars’ in Eastern Europe

The week's news at a glance.

Warsaw

The U.S. told Poland and the Czech Republic this week it wanted to start formal talks on basing missile defense sites on their territories. Andrew Schilling of the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw said the missile defense system was not intended to counter Russia. Instead, he said, it was aimed at protecting Europe from “the evolving Middle Eastern ballistic missile threat”—a term widely perceived as meaning Iran. Russia, though, was not pleased. A U.S. missile defense system in Eastern Europe “would create a clear threat for Russia,” said Col. Gen. Vladimir Popovkin, chief of Russia’s Space Forces.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up