Russia has rejected US proposals seeking to ease its concerns about a missile defence system that Washington plans to deploy in Europe, local news agencies on Wednesday quoted a Kremlin source as saying.

"Russia is ready to cooperate with the United States on European security but considers the proposals that were sent are insufficient," Itar-Tass news agency quoted the unidentified source as saying.

"The current (US) administration wants at any cost to ... exclude any discussion. In this way, the new US president will carry the responsibility for what they have done."    

The Kremlin source, who was not indentified by name, was quoted by Russia's three main news agencies, an indication the comments reflected official policy. The Kremlin declined immediate comment.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said last week he planned to deploy missile systems near Poland's border in retaliation for US plans to install elements of the proposed missile defence system in Poland and the Czech Republic.

Russia says the planned US system will threaten its national security. Washington denies this, saying it is needed to protect against missile strikes from what it calls rogue states, specifically Iran.

The rejection of the proposals indicates the Kremlin is waiting for the administration of President-elect Barack Obama to take office. He has said he would make sure the system had been proven to work before it is deployed.

"We will not give our agreement to these proposals and we will speak to the new administration," Tass quoted the Kremlin source as saying.

The US had previously proposed confidence-building measures that included allowing Russian representatives access to sites where the missile system is to be deployed and providing real-time video monitoring of activities at the sites.

Senior US officials said this week they were planning to discuss the proposals with their Russian counterparts soon.

The rejection of Washington's proposals comes on the same day that William Burns, the third-ranking official in the US State Department, was in Moscow for talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Burns is the most senior US official to visit Russia since the war in August between Russia and US ally Georgia. - Reuters