It would be better if Russians built some roads, maybe even a house or two and thought about how to bring their GDP above $2 per person other than through sale of oil, instead of bringing back the Soviet national anthem, rebuilding their criminal military and bullying other countries. Maybe then people from other countries would look to Russia as a place to immigrate to the way they look at the US and not the place to get the hell out of. Until then, I would advise the Eastern Europeans to build a wall to keep the hordes out just like the Israelis are doing in the West Bank.

J Roth, hoboken, NJ

There is a reason why America is surrounding Russia with bases and missile shields. Russia is not going along with the petrodollar standard. The deal is, you sell the US your natural resources, the U.S. pays you dollars and in return you buy some U.S treasuries. The U.S. can then continue unprecedented deficit spending, since there will always be buyers for their worthless credit. This continues until the Ponzi scheme has played out.

You might think this deal is engineered by the U.S., but it's largely run by bankers and other elites from London. They reap windfall profits by controlling the prices of natural resources. Eventually they'll move their operations to europe and repeat the scam with euros.

Matt, Santal Clara, US

2 Matt, Northamnpton, Massachusetts, USA

Wow! What a nice piece of Cold war-style rhetorics.

If you believe that Russian response is "hysterical", just try to imagine what would be the reaction of the U.S. if Russians decide to deploy its radars and missiles in Cuba again solely for protection of these countries from rogue states.

Oleg, St.Pete, Russia

The siting of the missile defence shield in Poland and the Czech Republic was determined by military considerations. Russia's hysterical response is determined by its political aspirations to subjugate the people of Eastern Europe to its rule once again. Russia has to accept that these are independent states, and their decision to secure their defence with NATO membership is not up for renegotiation.

Btw, Poland and the Czech Republic are also independent of Germany. Germany is pro-Russian because it wants to keep its lucrative role as Russia's oil and gas dealer to Europe.

Matt, Northamnpton, Massachusetts, USA

If Mr.Bush had bothered to consult with Mr. Putin before announcing his plans to the world the current situation would have been avoided. I guess it is a typical attitude of Texans (read the late John Wayne) to unilaterally shoot first and talk later.

Popo Pruthi, London, UK

Well, perhaps Russia should install its rockets in Cuba or Venezuela, after all the only "rogue" country I know, is closer to them.

Gus, Brisbane, Queensland

Can you imagine the US response to a Chinese proposal to install missle batteries in Mexico, "to counter a POTENTIAL threat from some 'rogue general' firing missles at China or to protect the people of Mexico from a missle attack from North Korea>? Ya think Cheney's puppet would allow that?

warmapril, Los Angeles, Ca

Although it may well seem gratuitous to say so, my honest impression is that America's leadership is woefully lacking in any sort of historical or cultural perspective. One can disagree with Putin's stance on issues or his methods of governance, but surely one can see that his country is still struggling to recover from the wounds of WW2, the economic and political meltdown of the 1990s, and so forth. Bush and his like see the world as nothing more than a chessboard; they don't see that it is a place filled with human and often terrible realities and historical baggage. America is a threat to world equilibrium right now, and I fear that they see war as a faraway, semi-fictional occurence in which thousands may die, but not in thier own country. Myopia at its worst, and I can understand the reaction of Putin (and of the citizens of his country, as reports suggest...)

Marc, Ontario (Canada)

Marc Widner, Barrie, CANADA

To "Matt from Wuerzburg" - Poland and the Czech Republic are not "your territory" - please check some post-1945 maps.

Hendrik, amsterdam, NL

The so-called star wars defense system is a sham. Any rogue state that wants to get a nuke to the us will not launch it by missile. They will attempt to sneak it into the country. And star wars is no defense against a big power like Russia. Since the shield is not foolproof, the obvious method to overcome it is to just launch more missiles. It is easier for Russia to launch ten times as many missiles as it is to maintain a defense system that will stop 90% of what is launched. So we gain nothing except another arms race.

James Lachowsky, Swindon, Wiltshire

It's not EU backyard, it's territory of Russian Federation
O.E., Russia

Evgeny, Ryazan,

;-) Putin offered to use Russia radars as antimissle system. The only problem - they wouldn't be able to monitor Russian territory and won't bring money to US military industry.
I wonder who'd win -the truth of power or the power of truth .

Pavel, Saint-Petersburg, Russia

Putin hasn't got anything to worry about. The missiles would probably do more to protect his own country...After recent events in Britain and from around the globe in the past years, comments made by a certain little funny man over in Iran..., isn't it easy to understand just where the real danger is coming from??

kirk, Rotherham, UK

I think if you were in PUtin's shoes, you would do the same. Be honest now!

Alice, Moscow,

About Kaliningrad. Your short survey fails to mention that the capital of what is now a Russian enclave was once known as Königsberg, and is the birthplace of the not unknown German philosopher Immanuel Kant. It used to be part of Germany - East Prussia.

Also, I'm sorry to say that it was not the Russians but the RAF (not the Red Brigades, but our chaps) that bombed the centre, as well as the armaments industries, to smithereens during World War Two, at the end of August 1944. (See: Wikipedia.)

Nowadays the enclave is said to have a poor standard of living and AIDS is rife. I know about the present state of affairs from a charity worker who goes there frequently. The casinos and luxury tourist venues maybe don't affect the population as a whole.

Eric Dickens, Blaricum, Netherlands

Pavel from Russia has got a point, and I have to admit I was thinking about the same thing when reading my (Finnish) morning paper today:

If the US has no interest whatsoever to monitor Russia, why not place the missile shields on Russian grounds (as suggested by the Kremlin) instead of placing them in two small countries close to the Russian border?

Furthermore, recent polls in both Poland and the Czech Republic have shown that the majority of people do not want the US missile shields or radars in their countries. However, both governments will probably accept the US proposals and go forth with the plans mainly because of economical reasons (e.g. construction work for local companies etc. promised by the US government).

It's a shame, since this could lead to Europe being a part of a war that it has not initiated and probably has no interest playing a part in.

Sanna, Oulu, Finland

Will someone bang some heads together and make these enormously powerful imbeciles see sense? The world doesn't need another Cold War - we're only just building ties to repair the damage of the last one.

Nice of the US to allow rogue missiles to drop safely onto European heads and spare the isolated and equally fundamentalist American's from the horror of another Nagasaki. Thanks for that.

Neil J, Derbyshire, England

I just think it's amazing that the US wants to put up a missile defence shield against nations that don't have the missiles yet! I also think that Europe shouldn't let the US 'set up shop' in it's own backyard!

LK, Southampton, UK

Will someone bang some heads together and make these enormously powerful imbeciles see sense? The world doesn't need another Cold War - we're only just building ties to repair the damage of the last one.

Nice of the US to allow rogue missiles to drop safely onto European heads and spare the isolated and equally fundamentalist American's from the horror of another Nagasaki. Thanks for that.

Neil J, Derbyshire, England

Is there any country in the world that the US hasn't upset in one way or another since the start of the Bush administration?

Rod Munch, Northampton, UK

Let's have a wide outlook at the picture. America says: we want to deploy rockets close to Russian borders. It's not a threat for Russia.
Russia says: If it's not a threat for Russia let's deploy missles in Azerbaijan and Russia. The same quality radars and missles, the difference is the fact that they won't be able to monitor Russian territory.
America says: Yes. But Poland and Chezh are still in power.
I wonder who will win the truth of power or the power of truth?

Pavel, Saint-Petersburg, Russia

Like "The peace of God", it passes all understanding- Russian reaction, that is.
Can they not predict the future nature of the problem? Has it not occurred to them they may also be the targets of the NEW problem?
Blimey!, this week they should.

MikeM, St. Albans, England

We do not need the "missile shield" here in Europe, which would only serve to take down nuclear missiles over our territory and make them drop on our heads instead of letting them fly on to America. This is a poisoned package being deceivingly sold as a blessing. We neither need nor want a cold-war style standoff either. Perhaps the U.S. military industry needs that but we don't.

Matt, Wuerzburg, Germany

Like "The peace of God", it passes all understanding- Russsian reaction, that is.
Can they not predict the future nature of the problem? Has it not occurred to them they may be the targets of the NEW problem?
Blimey!, this week they should.

MikeM, St. Albans, England

A typically chilsish and xenophobic response. Do the Russians actually think that anyone thinks they have missiles capable of hitting anything other than gardens in Kazakhstan? Which I may add they did only a few years ago. Do they really think that Europe is unaware of the state of their armed forces and hardware? They'de be lucky to hit a barn door at ten paces as things stand. Why oh why do they persist in this silly game of trying to prove (eroniously) that they have superpower status when they would be well advised to sort out what has been described as 'the worst medical care in the industrial world'; the staggering level of poverty; the AIDS epidemic' the tuberculosis epidemic; the criminality and corruption; the crumbling infstrucure; the worst record of aircraft disasters in the western world; the pollution and a host of other things, rather than worry about ten interceptors in Poland. Is publicity seeking so adictive at the Kremlin?

Marcus Gates, Vienna,

The article tries to explore both sides of the story which is fairly unusual for biased British media (especially since the Litvinenko death). Still it leaves me with the impression as if it is Russia that is seeking to start a new Cold war. Which is not the case, obviously.

It would be sad if the whole Kaliningrad region turns into a military base (I'd rather have it as a tourist place). Still, if the West keeps caring about itself only, without paying attention to interests of other countries, there will be basically no other choice for Russia.

Oleg, St.Pete, Russia

Since Putin is now directly threatening Europe with nuclear missiles, NATO should respond with a greatly expanded missile defense system that includes the capacity to knock down russian missiles. This may make Putin think again about his aggressive stance.

Rogelio el Contrario, Lyon, France

Putin is playing politics. Russia will not soon return to the status it had during the Cold War years. I wonder if Russia even knows where the warheads for those missiles are, or have they been looted by underpaid former Soviet Generals?

Everything Putin says or does on this topic makes him look silly and paranoid.

Scott, Durham, NC, USA

NATO hell all over again thanks to Bush-Blair fundamentalists. Does Europe ever get to vote as to whether they even want an American missle shield that doesn't even work? Why on earth does Europe even need NATO?

ron, san francisco, ca