US President George W. Bush signed a pact with Russian leader Vladimir Putin yesterday to slash their nuclear warheads, but warned Moscow it risked turning "terrorist sponsor" Iran into a nuclear-armed state.
He also failed to meet Russia's hopes for a strong signal that concessions it has made in other fields would be rewarded by US support for freer trade in Russian goods.
US concerns over Iran have haunted the two sides' attempts to make this summit the one that finally closes the door on the Cold War and turns the countries into normal partners.
Putin denied Russia's building of a nuclear power plant in Iran effectively handed weapons of mass destruction to a country Washington says is part of an "axis of evil."
"Cooperation between Russia and Iran is not of a character that would undermine the process of non-proliferation," he told a news conference in the Kremlin fortress after signing the treaty to cut Moscow's and Washington's deployed nuclear arsenals by two-thirds.
And he countered that Washington had been involved in a similar deal with North Korea.
Bush, sounding more conciliatory than some in his administration, said Washington and Moscow would work together closely on the issue.
"The greatest danger of this war [against terrorism] is the prospect of terrorists acquiring weapons of mass destruction.
"Our nations must spare no effort in preventing all forms of proliferation, and we discussed Iran in this context today," he told the news conference at his first summit on Russian soil.
Bush, however, was unrepentant over US charges against and worries about Tehran.
"We spoke very frankly and honestly about the need for a non-transparent government run by radical clerics ... doesn't get their hands on weapons of mass destruction which could be harmful to us and harmful to Russia," he said.
Apart from the jibe over US dealings in North Korea, Putin also said Russia had similar worries to the US over unspecified cooperation between some countries and Taiwan.
"I think we should think about other countries. We are for example concerned to some extent by the development of some rocket programs by Taiwan and some other states where work is being carried out on weapons of mass destruction," he said.
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