Forget Cold War, Bush aide urges

Russia is wary of the US defence plan

United States National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice says the US and Russia should put the Cold War behind them and create a new relationship.

Ms Rice was speaking is Moscow where she is holding talks aimed at accelerating progress towards an agreement on missile defence.

She hopes to arrange a timetable for US-Russian talks on cutting nuclear arsenals, in tandem with the American missile defence shield plan.

Her visit is the result of talks between US President George W Bush and the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, at the G8 summit in Genoa.

Progress?

The talks were originally hailed as a breakthrough in the row over missile defence. Russia has been staunchly opposed to the US plans for a national defence scheme, arguing that it will instigate a new global arms race.

The US has begun testing its anti-missile system

But the two leaders later poured cold water on the reports of a rapprochement, with the US president making it clear that he is prepared to ignore Russian objections to the scheme.

On Tuesday Ms Rice held talks in Kiev with the Ukrainian President, Leonid Kuchma, who has also been critical of Washington's defence plan.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Anatoly Kinakh, whom Ms Rice also met, said Ukraine sees co-operation with USA as a strategic area of its foreign policy.

The American missile defence plan involves setting up a shield capable of shooting down missiles fired by what Washington calls rogue states.

This is currently prohibited by the 1972 Anti Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty, which the US regards as being a relic of the Cold War era.