Russian officials on Monday reacted coolly to US Defence Secretary Robert Gates' invitation to cooperate on a planned US missile defence shield, part of a White House drive to address simmering Kremlin objections to the shield, according to DPA. After speaking with Gates in Moscow, Russian Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov called the shield a "serious destabilising factor." "We consider the missile defence system to be a serious destabilizing factor, capable of exerting a substantial influence on regional and global security," Serdyukov, 45, said in remarks carried by Interfax. Gates additionally met with Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov and President Vladimir Putin, both of whom have been sharply critical of Washington in recent months. The defence secretary, however, said he felt cautious optimism from the Russian side. Gates said progress was made on increasing understanding on a number of technical questions that would be turned over to specialists from each side to discuss.
