Rumsfeld pushes missile defence

Rumsfeld is likely to face resistance to US defence shield plans

The US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is in Moscow for a visit crammed with diplomacy that will address controversial American plans to build a missile defence shield.

Mr Rumsfeld has already held face-to-face talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Ivanov, and the two were due to head a longer session with aides, including US Undersecretary of State for Arms Control John Bolton and Undersecretary of Defence for Policy Doug Feith.

This is Donald Rumsfeld's first visit to Moscow as defence secretary.

The trip had been scheduled to last two days, but Mr Rumsfeld managed to condense them into a single 14-hour day.

Apart from his engagements with Mr Ivanov, which include a river cruise and dinner at the US visitor's hotel, Mr Rumsfeld may meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, who agreed to the visit at talks with US President George W Bush at their encounter in Italy last month.

Arms race threat

The Americans plan to build a missile defence shield to protect themselves against attacks by what Washington considers to be rogue states.

But Moscow is sticking to its objections - a missile shield is unnecessary at best, it says, and at worst could lead to a new nuclear arms race.

The Americans appear to have acknowledged that the Russians will not be easily persuaded.

Pentagon officials stress that the defence secretary is not aiming for any concrete results during this visit.

Compromise

The best hope for the Americans is that the question of missile defence can be linked to other security issues close to Moscow's heart.

The Russians are keen to make big cuts in their nuclear arsenal in order to save money.

Moscow is also worried about plans to expand Nato membership further into Eastern Europe.

Military analysts say these various defence issues could possibly be linked in an eventual compromise.