MOSCOW - Russia's top general said on Tuesday that US missile defense plans were directed against his country, and differences over the issue were holding up an arms treaty with Washington, Russian news agencies reported. The renewed blast from Moscow raised questions about the chances of an early agreement on a successor to a Cold War-era nuclear arms reduction treaty that expired in December. Interfax news agency quoted Russian armed forces chief of staff Nikolai Makarov as saying: "The development and establishment of the (U.S.) missile shield is directed against the Russian Federation." A US defense official rejected his comment. Washington has insisted its plans for a limited missile defense are intended to intercept a small number of warheads that might be fired by a "rogue state" such as Iran or North Korea. US President Barack Obama pleased Russia by scrapping the previous administration's plans to deploy elements of a missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic, which was bitterly opposed by Moscow. But Makarov said Russia still had serious concerns about Obama's revised plans, which are based on sea- and land-based missile interceptors in Europe, despite US insistence that they are no threat to Russia. "Despite the declarations of those statesmen who say that, on the contrary, it provides for our security, that's far from the case," state-run RIA news agency quoted him as saying. "For this reason it's completely understandable that we have a very negative attitude about this issue," Makarov added. A US defense official in Washington, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said: "Those missile defense initiatives are not and never have been designed around Russian capabilities. We consider Russia a partner and friend in promoting stability and security in the region."