"Russia's foreign ministry has said it will be forced to react with military means if a US-Czech agreement over a missile defence shield is ratified."

"The statement comes hours after the US signed an initial deal to base part of Washington's controversial missile defence system in the Czech Republic.

It said Russia would respond "not with diplomatic, but with military-technical methods" if the system was deployed.

Moscow says siting the system near its borders could weaken its own defence.

It has previously threatened to aim its own missiles at any eventual base in Poland or the Czech Republic. "

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7496399.stm