French Block U.S. Bid for NATO’s Support of ‘Star Wars’ Program

France blocked U.S. efforts Thursday to obtain North Atlantic Treaty Organization endorsement of President Reagan’s “Star Wars” missile defense plan.

A senior U.S. official said Secretary of State George P. Shultz abandoned his request for NATO foreign ministers to give formal support to the research phase of the U.S. Strategic Defense Initiative after it became clear that French External Relations Minister Roland Dumas would not go along.

“We realized it was unlikely that the French would endorse research on strategic defense,” said the official, who declined to be identified by name. Without unanimous backing, he added, “it didn’t make much sense to mention it” in the formal communique to be issued today at the end of the two-day meeting.

Support Called Vital

The United States had hoped to obtain at least qualified backing for the “Star Wars” plan to strengthen the U.S. position at the arms control talks in Geneva, where the Soviet Union has demanded an end to the project. A NATO official said Wednesday that such support is vital to the negotiations.

The senior U.S. official said the communique will include support for the overall U.S. strategy at Geneva without mentioning the space-based missile defense plan by name. A British spokesman confirmed that such an approach has the support of all 16 member nations.

The senior U.S. official said the allies expressed concern over U.S. charges of violations of the unratified strategic arms control treaty known as SALT II but cautioned the United States against total repudiation in response.

The official reported similar European sentiments Wednesday after a series of preliminary meetings. He implied that the allies might go along with some U.S. retaliation provided that it stops short of a total break with the treaty.

European Unanimity

However, spokesmen for the European delegations were unanimous in urging the United States to continue to adhere to the pact regardless of anything the Soviets might do. Their public statements contained no hint of support for anything less than full compliance by Washington.

In a speech at the meeting’s brief public opening ceremony, West German Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher said, “Neither the observance of the ABM (anti-ballistic missile) treaty nor the respect of the SALT II agreement should be diminished in their value by the Soviet Union adopting an attitude contrary to their spirit and letter.

“The respect of SALT II and the observance of the ABM treaty,” he went on, “are an important element of stability and (are) relevant for the development of East-West relations and for the Geneva negotiations.”

An Italian spokesman said that Foreign Minister Giulio Andreotti described SALT II as a “symbol of the validity of arms control.” The spokesman reported that Andreotti said it would be counterproductive for the United States to violate the pact, even if the Soviets do so.

Distinction Drawn

The U.S. official said the allies drew a distinction between the need to respond in some way to Soviet violations and the requirements of Western public opinion, which they said would strongly oppose U.S. repudiation of the agreement.

President Reagan has promised to tell Congress next Monday whether the United States will continue to abide by the pact after it expires at the end of this year. The President instructed Shultz to sound out allied opinion before the final decision is made.

Despite his failure to win unanimous backing for U.S. missile defense research, Shultz did obtain some support. The U.S. official said that Portugal, probably the least technologically advanced of the NATO countries, said it would like to participate in the research effort. He said the Lisbon government will soon send a delegation to Washington to discuss the way it might fit into the program.

The official said Portugal joins Britain in expressing its willingness to participate. West Germany has said it is interested but has not yet indicated a full commitment.