WASHINGTON: The president of the European Commission said Sunday that Russia should not have a veto over a proposed U.S. missile defense system in Europe.

Jose Manuel Barroso's comments follow a threat by Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this week to withdraw from a key post-Cold War treaty that set limits on the deployment of military forces in Europe.

"We believe that the announcement to suspend Russia's participation in the CFE treaty, the Conventional Forces Treaty, that was a symbol of the Cold War, was, indeed, very disappointing," said in an interview with CNN.

The Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty was signed in 1990 and amended in 1999 to reflect changes since the breakup of the Soviet Union, adding the requirement that Russia withdraw troops from the former Soviet republics of Moldova and Georgia.

Russia has ratified the amended version, but the United States and other NATO members have refused to do so until Russia completely withdraws.

In recent months, Putin has stepped up criticism of U.S. foreign policies, including the expansion of NATO to Russia's borders and plans to build a missile defense radar in the Czech Republic and interceptors in Poland.

In response to Russian objections, the United States has insisted that the missile shield is intended to defend against the risk of attack from a rogue state like Iran or North Korea, but Russia has not been swayed by the assurances.

Some European officials have criticized the U.S. plans as provocative or unnecessary. Others have said that the U.S. has inadequately consulted Russia, a charge that the U.S. has both rejected and responded to by stepping up talks with Moscow.

But Barroso said Sunday that decisions about installing systems in European countries were not for Russia to make.