The Pentagon said Wednesday that its negotiations to install U.S. missile defenses in eastern Europe were on track, but it denied a Russian charge that they were being accelerated. “We are very much on course and wish to come to agreements with the Czech Republic and Poland as soon as possible, so we can begin building and installing this system,” said Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell. “But I have no sense that this is in any way being expedited.” Defense Secretary Robert Gates hopes to complete the negotiations by the end of the year, though the Czechs have said they may not conclude until early next year. The U.S. plan is to install a powerful targeting radar in the Czech Republic and 10 interceptor missiles in Poland by 2012. Morrell's comments followed accusations by Russia's Foreign Ministry that Washington was not taking seriously a Russian counter-proposal on missile defense. Gates told reporters last week that the United States has gone as far as it could to address Russian concerns about the missile-defense system. Morrell reaffirmed Gates' position Wednesday, telling reporters, “You will not be seeing additional proposals coming from the secretary until there is movement from the Russian side.”
