Ukraine To Offer Europe Former Soviet Anti-Missile Radars

KIEV, Ukraine -- Ukraine is offering western Europe access to its radars, previously a part of the former Soviet missile defence system, the Ukrainian space agency said Friday.


"We envisage offering their use to Europe which is trying to create its own security system," the agency's director Yury Alexeyev told Interfax news agency.

"Maybe Europe will be interested. We are going to modernise them to keep them in active service," he added.

The offer comes after the lower Russian house of parliamemt, the State Duma, voted on January 25 to annul a Russian-Ukrainian accord on joint use of radar sites at Mukacheve in western Ukraine and Sevastopol.

A Russian junior defence minister said the reason behind the cancellation was the stated desire of the former Soviet republic to join NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

Earlier this month, Ukraine asked to be allowed to join the alliance's Membership Action Plan -- a precursor to membership -- at the next NATO summit, which will take place in Bucharest on April 2-4.

Russia has warned that NATO membership for Ukraine would "seriously complicate relations" between the two countries.

Source: EU Business