Russia had a short answer for US President George W. Bush's top national security advisers who came to ask for detente in the simmering argument over a planned US missile shield at Russia's doorstep: "Nyet." Or maybe, "Not yet."
The US and Russia got no closer to settling their public differences over US plans that Russia sees as a potential threat and a turf battle for influence in states once under the Soviet thumb.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he would take a closer look at US proposals meant to allay Russian fears, but added that the best way to end the disagreement would be to scrap the plan for placing missile interceptors in Poland and a tracking radar system in the Czech Republic.
"We've leaned very far forward in this in an effort to provide reassurance," but the US plans to go ahead, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said on Tuesday following two days of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other officials.
During a brief greeting witnessed by reporters on Monday, Putin did not mention US plans for the missile shield, a marked contrast from his vehement opposition when he met in October with Gates and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who returned to explore whether US concessions had softened Putin's stance.
On Monday, Gates gave as an example the US suggestion that Russia be allowed to monitor the activities in Poland and the Czech Republic. He said the Russians initially thought this meant they would be limited to monitoring through their diplomatic presence in the Polish and Czech capitals. Gates said that was clarified to mean the Russians would be permitted a physical -- but likely not continuous -- presence at the missile defense sites, and that the Russians appeared to regard this more favorably.
At first the Polish and Czech governments objected to having Russian monitors on their soil. But Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Tuesday that his government would be open to discussing an arrangement.
The US proposed the visit to give a formal framework to numerous issues in which the US and Russia have common or overlapping interests. Gates and Rice carried a document that lays out areas of agreement reached under Putin and Bush.
Russia said yesterday that the US had failed to deliver the document.
"In spite of promises yesterday, written proposals from the American side have not yet been received by us," Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said.
Gates and Rice left Moscow yesterday.
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