Hard bargaining at the Kremlin

Greenpeace staged an anti-missile protest in Moscow

President Clinton is holding his first formal talks at the Kremlin with Russia's President Vladimir Putin.

The two men met alone for an hour before calling in their advisers for more detailed talks.

And while they have already agreed a deal to destroy some stocks of plutonium, US officials say no breakthrough is expected on the key arms control issue.

Moscow is vehemently opposed to US plans to build an anti-missile system in Alaska, to counter a potential threat from North Korea.

Looking to the skies: Mr Clinton sightseeing at Moscow's new Orthodox Cathedral

Mr Putin has already warned that if the US goes ahead with the project, Russia might abandon all arms-control accords with the US.

The deal on plutonium to be formally announced by the two leaders will see each side disposing of 34 tonnes of weapons-grade plutonium, enough for thousands of warheads.

The Americans are advising on how to secure plutonium at Russian naval bases against theft and loss.

Easy-going

The informal discussions on Saturday evening - lasting nearly three hours - covered mostly international security, including arms control, the Balkans and the Caucasus, according to US sources.

Nuclear milestones

1972: Nixon-Brezhnev talks lead to Salt I and ABM anti-missile treaties

1979: Carter-Brezhnev summit ends in Salt II, limiting cruise missiles

1986: Reagan-Gorbachev meeting collapses over US Star Wars plan

1987: Reagan-Gorbachev treaty agrees to scrap mid-range missiles

1991: Bush-Gorbachev signing of Start I, cutting long-range weapons

1993: Bush-Yeltsin Start II agreement on further cuts in strategic weapons

"There was an easy-going nature to the conversation," a US official said. But the two men were not yet said to be on first name terms.

Discussions on the missile issue are expected to extend into the rest of Mr Clinton's term, with the two presidents meeting again several times this year.

The Russians say the issue was dealt with by one of the first US-Soviet pacts, the historic Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty signed by Leonid Brezhnev and Richard Nixon in 1972, which signalled the start of Cold War detente.

Chechnya criticism

Mr Clinton will also be discussing Russia's 10-month war in rebel Chechnya.

He expressed concern on Friday about Russia's direction and dismay over its military action against rebels in the breakaway republic, but he praised Russia's "remarkable journey" since the break-up of the Soviet Union.

Officials say Mr Clinton's overall message to Russia will be one of inclusion.

He told European leaders last week that neither the European Union nor Nato should seal their doors to Russia.