Russia has vocally opposed the ballistic missile plans, calling it a threat to its security. The deal comes amidst heightening US-Russia tensions over the week-long Russian military assault on Georgia. Russia has responded with crushing force after Georgia sought to retake the breakaway province of South Ossetia through military attack. On Thursday, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the Russian offensive threatens relations with the United States.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates: “What happens in the days and months to come will determine the future course of US-Russian relations. But by the same token, my personal view is that there need to be some consequences for the actions that Russia has taken against a sovereign state.”

Both Russian and Georgian forces have been accused of indiscriminate killing and injuring of civilians over the past week of fighting. Fears of a humanitarian crisis in Georgia are growing. In a statement, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was “extremely concerned” over the displacement of some 100,000 people and the lack of access for aid workers. Meanwhile, the US-backed Georgian president, Mikheil Saakashvili, continues to accuse Russia of ethnic cleansing.

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili: “I accuse the government of Russia of deliberate policy of ethnic cleansing, and I can prove it with international organizations already bringing testimony to what I’m saying. And we’ve received 1,400 reports of brutal attacks, slaughters, rapes and internment of people in violation of rules of Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law.”