*”So this is not a joking matter. We expect from our NATO partners a direct and unambiguous answer,”* he said, during a meeting with Russia’s NATO envoy Dmitry Rogozin.

Medvedev said Russia would be forced to deploy its own missile defense shield if it was not given an equal role in the one being deployed by Washington and its allies over Europe.

*”In either case, we are either together with NATO, or we separately find an adequate response to the existing problem,”* Medvedev said.

*”Either we agree to certain principles with NATO, or we fail to agree, and then in the future we are forced to adopt an entire series of unpleasant decisions concerning the deployment of an offensive nuclear missile group.”*