By Ding Yi

One year after the United States and Poland signed an agreement to deploy parts of an American missile defense shield in Eastern Europe, the project has become a bargaining chip during talks between the US and Russia on nuclear weapons reductions, observers say.

Although Poland and the Czech Republic, which was also included in the anti-missile system, were eager for the implementation of the project, Russia's sharp opposition, the Iran issue and a different voice in the US Congress have added uncertainties and complications to the plan, analysts say.

Bargaining chips

The anti-missile defense system has been part of the US strategic deployment in the world for a long time.

Washington planned to install a base for 10 interceptor missiles in northern Poland and a radar base in the neighboring Czech Republic to protect the United States and Europe from possible attacks from what it called "rogue" states.

The Polish government and the Bush administration signed an agreement on the project on Aug. 20, 2008. Two US-Czech treaties on the missile defense system were sealed later that year.

However, as the United States and Russia revived bilateral relations and attempted to break a deadlock over nuclear weapons reductions, the missile plan has become a bargaining chips during the negotiations, observers said.

Russia has linked the START I treaty, which, among other things, banned the production, testing and deployment of air-launched ballistic missiles, with the US defense project.

The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I), signed by the United States and the former Soviet Union in 1991, places a limit of 6,000 strategic or long-range nuclear warheads on both sides.

A subsequent 2002 treaty signed in Moscow called for a greater cut in nuclear warheads to between 1,700 and 2,200 by the end of 2012, but fell short of deals on verification. If START I expires in December without a follow-up, the Moscow treaty would be left with no legally binding system for verification.

Nikolai Makarov, Russia's chief of staff, said in June that Moscow would not cut the number of its nuclear weapons until US intentions for its missile defense in Europe are clarified.

Russian media reported earlier this month that the United States was considering a proposal by Russia that the two countries jointly use a radar facility in Azerbaijan.

However, the US rejected giving up its defense system in Europe in return for use of the Azerbaijan facility.