WASHINGTON - The United States is "encouraged" by Russia's willingness to
discuss missile defense system, White House spokesman Tony Snow said
Sunday.
U.S. President George W. Bush (L)
shakes hands with President of Russia Vladimir Putin at the G8 summit in
Heiligendamm June 7, 2007. U.S. President George W. Bush sought to calm
tensions with Moscow on Thursday ahead of a meeting with Russian President
Vladimir Putin at a Group of Eight (G8) summit in Germany. [Reuters]
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"Frankly, we are encouraged by the fact that the Russians now are talking
about figuring out a way to provide a missile shield that will discourage rogue
regimes from loading nukes onto missiles and aiming them," Snow said on Fox
News.
The Bush administration has been defending its planned missile defense
shield, which, it says, is intended to protect against a potential Iranian
threat.
Speaking after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called for a freeze to
the US shield foreseen for eastern Europe, Snow noted that "deployment is
something that's not going to take place for a while. What we're talking about
is the best way to protect Europe."
Moscow is angered at the US plan to deploy missile interceptors in Poland and
radar units in the Czech Republic as part of a project to extend the missile
defense system in Europe.
Washington insists that the deployment of the system is aimed at preventing
attacks from rogue states, not Russia.
Bush and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin focused on the issue during
their meeting last week at the Group of Eight summit. They will come up again
when Putin visits the Bush family compound in Kennebunkport, Maine, on July 1-2.