The Bush administration argued for increasing investment in missile defense systems to combat two growing threats — Iran and North Korea.  Barack Obama attacked this policy during the presidential campaign, and has offered to retreat on missile defense in Europe in exchange for Russian concessions on Iran, among other issues.  But Russia’s opposition to missile defense in Europe doesn’t appear to be matched by their increasing fear over North Korea’s missile development  — and its lousy aim:

Russia has deployed a missile defence system near its border with North Korea and is studying other measures to protect its population from stray missiles, Russia’s top general said on Wednesday. …

A series of missile launches and a nuclear weapon test by North Korea this year alarmed its neighbours, including South Korea, China and Japan.

“We are definitely concerned by the conditions under which tests are being carried out in North Korea, including nuclear devices,” the chief of Russia’s general staff Nikolai Makarov told journalists in the Mongolian capital Ulan Bator.

The US expressed alarm over Pyongyang’s missile activities as well, especially when they launched a long-range missile over Japan.  We had the opportunity to test our system in April, as the Taepodong-2 launch preparation was public and obvious.  Instead, we left our best and most expensive missile-tracking radar tied to the dock in Pearl Harbor.

The Russians have taken a more clear-eyed view of the threat from Kim Jong-Il, and not just the threat of aggression.  These missile launches usually fail, especially the longer-range rockets, and that creates a whole new level of threat for North Korea’s neighbors.  They want to knock down anything that goes astray before it hits Russian territory and lots of Russians — just the concern we should have for our allies in South Korea and Japan.