(CNN) - Poland has agreed to host elements of the new U.S. missile defense plan, despite initial surprise there at the Obama administration's recent decision to overhaul a previous strategy developed by President Bush.

"We are ready to participate in the project," said Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who made the announcement in an appearance with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden Wednesday in Warsaw, Poland.

Biden said the United States was appreciative when Poland was willing to host an element of the now-scrapped missile defense plan proposed by the Bush administration, and is grateful now for its continued support.

"We now appreciate that Poland's government agrees with us that there is now a better way with new technology and new information to defend against emerging ballistic missile threats," Biden said.

Poland and the Czech Republic, both NATO members, agreed during the Bush administration to host major aspects of the missile defense system that would monitor and defend Europe from a possible missile attack by Iran. The Czech Republic would have had a major radar assembly and Poland would have had defensive interceptor missiles located along its borders.

Russia, which borders both countries, was strongly against the plan from the start, claiming the missiles could be retrofitted with nuclear warheads, putting offensive weapons on its doorstep - a claim the United States has always denied.

The Obama administration announced in September it would scrap the Bush plan because of new intelligence showing Iran was not close to acquiring a long-range intercontinental ballistic missile, against which the missile defense system was designed to defend.

The administration laid out a new plan aimed at a more realistic threat of short- and medium-range missiles and would involve the use of ship-based interceptor missiles in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.