Germany's defence minister has expressed support for US plans for an anti-missile shield in Europe, arguing it could play an important "protecting role" for the continent as a whole.

"The threats have changed. We are facing threats related to international terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, proliferation and crisis and conflict situations. We have to react to that," Minister Franz Josef Jung told the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee, as cited by the EUobserver.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov slammed the scheme earlier in the week in an article for the Financial Times, saying it would alter the continent's geo-strategic landscape.

Jung said however that he is "confident" that an agreement over the issue could be reached with the Kremlin. He pleaded for a broad political discussion over the scheme at NATO level, adding that Moscow should be consulted in the framework of the NATO-Russia council.

The United States wants to build a radar station in the Czech Republic and a missile battery in Poland to defend against possible missile attacks from what it calls "rogue states" such as Iran or North Korea.

The scheme had earlier come under fire from states like Luxembourg and Austria, who said the anti-missile bases in Central Europe could provoke new tensions with Russia.

Warsaw and Prague have come under criticism for dealing with Washington directly over the scheme, instead of through NATO structures.

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