At an annual US-Europe summit, Bush said he had launched an aggressive diplomatic dialogue with Moscow and noted that US Defense Secretary Robert Gates had recently traveled there to mollify Russian objections.

"We have started a dialogue -- as a result of Secretary Gates' visit -- that hopefully will make explicit our intentions, and hopefully present an opportunity to share with the Russians, so that they don't see us as an antagonistic force but see us as a friendly force," he said.

"Our intention, of course, is to have a defense system that prevents rogue regimes from holding Western Europe and/or America to hostage. Evidently, the Russians view it differently," he said.

Bush said he had sent Gates at the suggestion of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who holds the rotating presidencies of the EU and the Group of Eight (G8) industrialized nations and attended the summit here.

"Upon the advice of the chancellor, I asked Secretary Gates to go to Moscow, where he had a very constructive meeting with (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin. I called President Putin and asked him to see Secretary Gates, and that we would put forth an interesting information-sharing proposal.

"Our intention is to say to Russia that the system is something you ought to think about participating in," said Bush.

Bush discussed the missile defense plan on April 23, as Moscow rebuffed Gates in his attempt to soften opposition to Washington's plan for a missile defense shield in Europe, saying it threatens global security.

Putin has even said that the proposed deployment would increase the threat of mutual destruction The US has proposed siting 10 missiles in Poland and a targeting radar in the Czech Republic by 2012 and has said they would be oriented toward ballistic missile threats from the south.

But Moscow's opposition to the US deployment is steadily hardening, fueling East-West tensions already heightened over differences on independence for Kosovo, Putin's record on democracy, and Russian energy export policies.

On Thursday, Putin stunned Western capitals when he announced suspension of Moscow's participation in the Soviet-era Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty, which imposes strict limits on troop deployments across the continent.

Putin said this was in response to the planned US missile shield.

earlier related report
Poland seeking 'specific provisions' in return for US missile shield
London (AFP) April 30 - Poland is seeking "specific provisions" from the United States in return for allowing an American missile defence shield to be put up on its territory, the country's foreign minister said in an interview published Monday.

Speaking to the Financial Times, Anna Fotyga said that Poland "have to know that the (missile defence) installation itself and other criteria enhance security: Polish, US, global (and) international security."

She said that she had sought "specific provisions" that would strengthen Polish security in areas such as "clear assessment of threats, the kind of installations (involved), the agreement over bases and installations itself and other issues referring to cooperation -- defence and military cooperation."

Poland is considering hosting interceptor missiles as part of Washington's planned missile defence system based in Eastern Europe -- The US has proposed siting 10 missiles in Poland and a targeting radar in the Czech Republic by 2012. They would be oriented toward ballistic missile threats from the south.

Russia has reacted angrily to such proposals, which it says pose a threat to its interests.

The FT said, citing unnamed Polish sources familiar with the situation, that Poland is carrying on with plans to request US Patriot missiles to aid its defences. The business daily did not name its sources.

Fotyga, asked by the FT about these plans, did not comment on specific Polish requests for Patriot missiles.

"Poland believes there could be additional threats to Polish security, so instead of jumping and talking about Patriots or other advance systems, let's have a rational and serious discussion about what those threats might be," said US Assistant Secretary of State for Europe Dan Fried.

"You can't jump from, 'Gee, we think we have a problem,' to, 'Patriot missiles are the answer'," Fried was quoted by the paper as saying.

"The Poles need to get their thinking together and then we will deal with this a step at a time."

Email This Article

Related Links
Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com