"President Obama's reverse course decision will cost the American taxpayer more money and upset our allies, " said Representative Mike Rogers, who chairs the Strategic Forces Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee, which oversees ballistic missile defence.

BBC: US scraps final phase of European missile shield

The US has delayed an intercontinental ballistic missile test scheduled for next week, defence officials say.

BBC: North Korea tension prompts US missile test delay

Moscow has said a move towards a missile defence strategy would violate the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.

CNN: Powell in Berlin after Moscow talks

Russia appears close to agreeing a deal to revise the anti-ballistic missile treaty - lifting its objections to an American system of missile defence.

BBC: Shanghai showcase

When urging the parliament to ratify Start II on Friday he warned that Russia would withdraw from all arms control agreements if the US went ahead with the missile defence programme, thereby breaking the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.

BBC: Putin seeks UK 'co-operation'

In the past week, Pakistan has test-fired two ballistic missiles and India responded by test-firing a new short-range air-defence missile.

ECONOMIST: After the vote