Moscow - The United States has proffered new plans for a missile defence system to Russia in the hopes of mollifying Russia's objections to the program and salvaging nuclear control accords between the two nations, Russia's Foreign Ministry confirmed Friday.

Ministry spokesman Igor Lyakin-Frolov said Russia is studying the proposal. It will be discussed when the US and Russian defence and foreign ministers meet for their next round of two-plus-two format talks. No date has been scheduled yet for those talks.

Washington's overture comes after Russia has threatened reactions should the United States set up parts of components of the missile defence system in eastern Europe.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev lashed out at the United States in a hawkish state of the nation speech Wednesday and said Moscow would deploy short-range Iskander missiles in its European enclave of Kaliningrad on the border with Poland to "neutralize" the planned US shield.

US Under Secretary of State for arms control and international security John Rood said Thursday that the fresh proposal build on previous compromises that would allow the Russian military greater access to elements of the missile shield to be sited in Poland and the Czech Republic.

He added the United State has put forth plans to replace a key Cold War-era Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) when it expires in December 2009.

Rood is set to meet his Russian counterpart, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, in Moscow later this month to discuss the proposals.

The Bush administration has so far failed to convince Moscow that its missile shield poses no threat to its security. Washington says the defence system is needed to provide protection against rogue states, such as Iran. (dpa)