Bush administration seeks breakthrough with Moscow

[November 07, 2008]  WASHINGTON (AP) -- The United States said Thursday it has sent Russia new proposals on nuclear arms reduction and missile defense. It was unclear whether Moscow is prepared to negotiate with an administration on its way out of power.

The Bush administration is seeking to assuage Russian concerns about U.S. missile defense plans in Europe, an issue that has been a prime irritant in badly damaged relations. Negotiations on a range of issues between Washington and Moscow have been crippled by tensions on the U.S. missile defense plans in Europe and Russia's invasion of Georgia in August.

The other proposal involves a successor to the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, which expires at the end of next year.

Prospects for diplomatic breakthroughs on the two issues in the waning days of the Bush administration are poor. On Wednesday, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev blasted the U.S. missile defense plans and threatened to move short range nuclear missiles to Russia's borders with NATO allies. His speech came just after Washington's proposal on missile defense cooperation arrived in Moscow, according to the acting undersecretary of state for arms control, John Rood.

The new offer included new ideas about allowing Russian observers at planned U.S. sites in Poland and the Czech Republic, Rood said.

In his speech, Medvedev threatened to deploy Iskander missiles to Russia's western enclave of Kaliningrad, sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania, "to neutralize, if necessary, a missile defense system."

"Some of the comments that President Medvedev made with regard to the U.S. missile defense system were unfortunate," Rood said. "We have heard some of those threats before."

Russia has vigorously opposed the planned U.S. missile defense system, which Washington says is aimed at countering any threat from Iran's ballistic missile program.

Two weeks ago, the U.S. also sent a proposal on START, Rood said. He hopes to discuss the proposal on further reductions in the two countries' nuclear weapons capabilities with his Russian counterpart in the negotiations. Those talks should be in about two weeks, probably in Moscow, Rood said.

With President-elect Obama set to take office on January 20, Moscow may have little incentive to help jump-start negotiations with the Bush administration.

Obama has advocated sharp reductions in the U.S. nuclear arsenal. He also has expressed some skepticism about spending levels on the U.S. missile defense system.

In his speech Wednesday, Medvedev appeared to be trying to improve Russia's bargaining position in potential talks with the Obama administration on missile defense. His wording suggested Russia would reverse the decision if the U.S. should scrap its missile defense plans.

[Associated Press; By DESMOND BUTLER]

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