Bush fails to sell missile defence plans in last meeting with Putin

• Luke Harding in Sochi
• The Guardian, Monday April 7 2008

George Bush's attempts to patch up the US's battered relationship with Russia failed yesterday when Vladimir Putin said he continued to oppose the US's European missile defence plans.

Bush and Putin held talks in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. It was their last encounter before Putin steps down as president on May 7. Bush also met Putin's successor, Dmitry Medvedev. Although the rapport between the presidents was warm, with Bush calling Putin a "strong leader" and slapping him affectionately on the back, there was no progress on the crucial issue: the US's contentious plans to build a anti-missile defence shield in central Europe.

"I want to be understood correctly. Strategically, no change happened in our ... attitude to US plans," Putin said.

Putin conceded, however, that there had been "some positive developments". "Our concerns were finally heard by the US side. I am cautiously optimistic that we will reach an agreement," he said.

The US plans to build a missile interceptor and radar base in Poland and the Czech Republic respectively, allegedly to shoot down any rogue missile fired by Iran. Russia remains strongly opposed, saying the threat from Iran is fictitious. The system wrecks Europe's strategic balance, it believes.

Continued . . .