US to trim nuclear arsenal

The US expects Russia to cut its arsenal too

US President George W Bush said he would go ahead with substantial cuts in the US nuclear arsenal even if Russia failed to match them as Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Washington for his first official visit.

The big threat for us and for the Russians is not each other, but somebody developing weapons of mass destruction

President Bush

President Bush told Russian journalists there was no need for long discussions and he expected Mr Putin would produce plans to scale back Russia's nuclear arms.

The US president said he would also argue that the existing anti-ballistic missile treaty was outdated because it prevented the development of defensive weapons systems that reflected real threats.

Mr Bush praised Mr Putin, saying they were close to forging a relationship that would outlive their presidencies.

Mr Putin is on a three-day visit to the US which will include meetings at President Bush's ranch in Texas.

Unprecedented warmth

Mr Bush and Mr Putin have met before and praised each other warmly.

"Now US officials say that warmth can replace the frigid diplomatic dance of past decades, and bring dramatic results," says the BBC's Washington correspondent, Tim Franks.

As he proposes the US cuts, President Bush knows that the cash-strapped Russians are keen to dismantle a large number of their own missiles.

Missile defence is still a major sticking point

Mr Bush will also ask for, and expect to get, Mr Putin's acquiescence for preliminary testing of America's missile defence shield.

No explicit link will be made with Russian requests, but President Putin may indicate that he would like movement on debt relief and trade access, our correspondent says.

The 11 September attacks have pushed America and Russia closer together. Both leaders see this meeting as a chance to help reshape one of their most important strategic relationships.