Bush and Putin Don't See Missile to Missile

This is a short post for those who interested in the ongoing story about America's missile defence system from Russia's perspective. U.S. President George W. Bush wrapped up his visit with Russian president Vladimir Putin and it seems Russia doesn't not agree with Bush's stance on missile defence. As the L.A. Times reports:

President Bush and Russian President Vladimir V. Putin failed today to overcome their differences on a missile defense system the United States wants to build in the Czech Republic and Poland.

Completing the business side of a hastily scheduled summit meeting, they said experts would continue to work on measures intended to assure Russia that the system was not a threat to the value of the Russian missile network.

Part of the visit included issuing an eight-page "U.S.-Russia Strategic Framework Declaration" that shows differences in how the U.S. and Russia see the missile defence system. The document says Russia and the U.S. are interested in a missile defence system if Russia, Europe and America "will participate as equal partners."

"The Russian side has made clear that it does not agree with the decision to establish sites in Poland and the Czech Republic and reiterated its proposed alternative," the declaration said. Russia has proposed using its existing missile defense sites in Azerbaijan as a key component.

The joint statement also said Russia appreciates unspecified measures the United States has offered that are intended to assure Moscow the system is intended not as a threat to Russia but to protect the United States and much of Europe from warheads launched from Iran or elsewhere in the Middle East.