Russia open to dialogue over missile defense with West

Moscow is open to constructive talks with the United States over missile defense in Europe, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday.

"We are ready for a constructive dialogue with the United States and NATO. We are open for search of a compromise," Lavrov told a meeting of the Russia-Ukraine bilateral committee on international cooperation.

Lavrov said, however, Moscow was not going to pretend to believe in Western assurances that the missile shield does not target Russia.

In August, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow expected no swift progress in arms control talks with the United States.

Ryabkov said no further steps toward nuclear disarmament were possible unless Moscow and Washington found a compromise on the missile shield issue.

Facing imminent deployment of a Western missile shield in Europe, Russia works on building early-warning radars along its borders as well as permanent deployment of S-400 and S-500 anti-aircraft and anti-missile systems. Russia also keeps re-arming its strategic missile troops with Yars and Bulava missiles.