Cohen cautious on Putin missile defence

The American defence secretary, William Cohen, says it's too early to assess the value of a proposal by the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, for a common Nato-Russian missile defence system.

He told reporters the plan could be a constructive proposal -- or it could be a ploy to divide the United States from Europe.

Mr Cohen said Moscow had been attempting such a division for the past year, and Mr Putin's missile defence proposal was very vague.

He said he'd be seeking clarifications from the Russians. Mr Putin outlined his scheme on Monday in Italy, a day after failing to resolve differences with President Clinton over the American plan for a national missile shield against rogue states.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service