Moscow and Washington fail to agree on missile defense shield, but talks with Prague continue

Russia and the United States on Tuesday failed to agree on Washington's plans to deploy parts of a US missile defense shield in the Czech Republic and Poland. Moscow opposes the missile defense shield, saying its deployment in Poland and the Czech Republic would threaten Russia's security. Further negotiations are to be held on the matter. Meanwhile talks with Prague on the conditions under which a US radar could be employed in the country have made sound progress, with an agreement expected to be reached by the end of the year. However the deal would still need to be approved by the Czech Parliament before it could be implemented. Public opinion surveys suggest that the majority of Czechs are firmly opposed to the country hosting a US radar base and the opposition parties are doing their best to prevent it happening.