Foreign minister: Russia aiming for superpower status

Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg has said that Russia is seeking to become a global superpower so that it can determine the future of Europe, and could become a threat in five to ten years. In an interview for Friday's Financial Times, Mr Schwarzenberg said that Russia would like to achieve the same status (vis-a-vis America) that the former Soviet Union had, and Washington and Moscow would be the two to decide European issues. He added the Czech Republic considered that to be its affair, too. The Czech Republic has been proposed as the site for the deployment of an American missile defence radar, which Russia alleges would threaten its security. Washington insists the missile shield is directed against Iran.