(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-08-21 20:20

MOSCOW - Russia's military chief told the Czech Republic on Tuesday it would be making a "big mistake" to host a US missile defence shield on its soil and urged Prague to delay a decision until a new US president is elected.

The Czech Republic is considering whether to accept a radar station which would form part of a US missile shield -- a system that the US said was designed to intercept and destroy missiles from "rogue states" but which Moscow sees as a threat to its security.

"We say it will be a big mistake by the Czech government to put this radar site on Czech territory," Yuri Baluyevsky, the Russian military chief of staff, told reporters after meeting Czech Deputy Defence Minister Martin Bartak.

He said the Czech Republic should hold off making a decision until after the US presidential election, scheduled for late 2008 to replace President George W. Bush.

"A decision will be made by the Czech side only after the evaluation of all conditions, technical and otherwise," Baluyevsky said.

"I and my Russian colleagues simply ask that that process continue through to October-November of 2008, and I think you can all guess why."

Asked by a reporter to clarify, he said: "I do not exclude that a new administration in the United States will re-evaluate the current administration's decisions on missile defence."

The missile shield is the latest in a series of moves by Moscow's former Warsaw Pact allies to embrace NATO, effectively moving the West's military capabilities closer to Russia.

He said the Czech stance was based on political rather than military considerations.

"There are unfounded allegations that Russia is attempting to disrupt the peace and tranquility of Western Europe."

Bartak stressed that the Czech government had not yet made a decision. "The most important thing I can say is that we have not yet said the final word on this and we will not until we have explored all avenues," he said.