Over 40 U.S. Republican senators said in a letter to U.S. President Barack Obama they would oppose any attempt to limit U.S. missile defense capabilities.
The letter came as a response to a remark by Obama, who was caught telling Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on an open microphone that he would have "more flexibility" after his "last election" on the issue of a planned U.S-led missile shield in Europe.
“Not having to worry about the judgment of the American people on this important national security issue may allow more flexibility to make concessions to the Russians, but it would be antithetical to our safety and security and would be counter to other assurances you’ve given,” the letter reads.
The senators also mentioned the National Defense Authorization Act which contains a provision imposing restrictions on sharing missile defense information with Russia.
“We caution that any attempt to treat this provision as non-binding, as you claimed in your signing statement, could have serious repercussions,” the senators said.
The letter, written on the initiative from Senator Jon Kyl, was signed by 43 Republican senators out of 47, is the latest comment in a wave of Republican criticism of Obama's statement.
Republican presidential candidate race frontrunner Mitt Romney said in an interview with CNN that Russia was the United State’s “number one geopolitical foe” and “lines up with the world's worst actors” including Syria and Iran.
Russia and NATO agreed to cooperate on a European missile defense system at the NATO-Russia Council Summit in Lisbon in November 2010.
Russia believes that the development of the concept and architecture of European missile defense should be implemented on an equal basis and provide adequate confidence-building measures and transparency in terms of defense.
U.S. officials have repeatedly said the missile defense system would not be directed against Russia and that the U.S., NATO and Russia would benefit from its strategic capacity and cooperation.
