Sarkozy Wants Talks Before Russian Missiles Move

Sarkozy said Medvedev had given a positive response to his proposal.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Friday he had asked Russian President Dmitry Medvedev not to deploy Russian missiles in a western outpost before engaging in discussions over European security.

Speaking at a joint news conference with Medvedev following a Russia-EU summit, Sarkozy said Medvedev had given a positive response to his proposal, adding that the talks could take place in the middle of next year.

Medvedev announced last week that Moscow would deploy missiles in its western outpost of Kaliningrad in response to U.S. plans to station an anti-missile defence shield in Poland and the Czech Republic.

"I indicated to President Medvedev how concerned we were about this declaration and how there should be no deployment in any enclave until we have discussed new geopolitical conditions for pan-European security," Sarkozy said.

"As president of the European Union, I proposed that in mid-2009 we meet ... to lay the foundation for what could be the future of European security," he said.

Sarkozy added that a summit of NATO leaders set for April could discuss ideas to be addressed at the Russian talks.

"Between now and then, don't talk about deployment of a missile shield which does nothing to bring security and complicates things," the French president said.

The United States says its anti-missile shield is to protect allies from threats from the Middle East, not Russia.