News from the New Party

A new Cold War?

Tensions between the United States and Russia ratcheted up another notch Thursday, with accusations flying over ballistic missiles and human rights.

Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Washington of touching off a new arms race with its plans to set up a missile defense shield in Europe.

Putin said Russia's testing of new intercontinental and cruise missiles earlier this week was "aimed at maintaining the balance of forces in the world."

"Our partners are filling Eastern Europe with new weapons," he told reporters in Moscow in a joint news conference with Greek President Carolos Papoulias.

"What are we supposed to do? We cannot just observe all this. In our opinion, it is nothing different from 'diktat,' nothing different from imperialism."

In Germany Thursday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the United States is confused by Russia's objections to the plans.

"I have to tell you that I find Russia's recent missile diplomacy difficult to understand, and we regret Russia's reluctance to accept the partnership in missile defense that we have offered," she said.

In an interview with CNN Wednesday, Rice said Moscow's fears are "ludicrous" and that the system is not aimed at gaining a strategic advantage over Russia.

"This is against smaller but nonetheless potentially very deadly places like Iran," she said in Berlin.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov retorted: "There is nothing ludicrous about it. The arms race is beginning again."