RIA-Novosti, Dmitry Astakhov, Presidential Press Service / AP
Vladimir Putin is happy. “I very much hope that this correct and brave decision will be followed by others,” the Russian prime minister said of President Obama's decision to not install interceptors in Poland and the Czech Republic. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev praised Obama's "responsible attitude," according to The Washington Post, and said that his country would work to help "to develop effective measures against the risks of missile proliferation, measures that take into account the interests and concerns of all sides and ensure equal security for all countries in European territory." NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen is urging Russia and the West to consider combining their missile defense systems to strengthen their hands against North Korea, Iran, and other potential nuclear threats. There still are concerns among Russian military figures, however, that even the reorganized missile defense system could pose a threat to Russia.