60 per cent of Poles oppose missile defence shield
Warsaw - Some 60 per cent of Poles support Prime Minister Donald Tusk's decision opposing the present US offer to install a missile defence shield in Poland, according to a recent poll.
Twenty-eight per cent did not agree with Tusk's stance during Warsaw's negotiations with Washington, says the poll conducted for Polish TV.
The US has been negotiating with Poland to place 10 long-range missile interceptors in Poland as protection against "rogue states" like Iran.
But Russia has expressed concern that the missile shield could be used against it, and could heighten tension in Europe.
Poland has been bargaining hard for military aid in exchange for the US hosting rights, and talks between Warsaw and Washington have recently reached deadlock.
Polish negotiators know the public is unlikely to support the plan unless Poland gets a good offer in exchange.
The Czech Republic - which is to host a radar base for the missile shield - finished negotiations and signed a treaty on Tuesday that accepts its part of the US offer.
But the plan has little public support there, either - with some 60 per cent of Czechs against the deal. (dpa)