Missile Row
Bush seeks to ease tension with Russia
Afp, Heiligendamm
President George W Bush yesterday sought to ease tensions with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin as the world's wealthiest nations struggled to reach a deal on combating climate change. Bush said a dispute with Russia over a proposed US missile defence system was nothing that either side should "hyperventilate" about in comments before a meeting with Putin that dominated the first full day of the Group of Eight summit. German police meanwhile arrested 300 people as they confronted a new wave of anti-summit protests on land and sea. US-Russia relations have hit a new post-Cold War low because of the US proposal to put a missile defence shield in central Europe. The shield is "not something we should hyperventilate about," Bush said after talks with British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Russia believes it is the sole target of the system and Putin has threatened to aim Russian missiles at European targets if the deployment goes ahead. Bush said he was "looking forward" to meeting Putin despite the dispute. "I will explain to him once again that a missile defence shield is aimed at a rogue regime that may try to hold Russia and or Europe hostage." He added: "It is important for Russia and the Russians to understand that I believe the Cold War ended, that Russia is not an enemy of the United States, that there's a lot of areas where we can work together, for example on Iran, areas of proliferation. There's a lot of constructive work we can do." Bush also said the United States was ready to play a leading role in any new international initiative on climate change but insisted China and India must be part of any deal. "The US will be actively involved, if not taking the lead, in a post-Kyoto framework, a post-Kyoto deal," Bush said, referring to the UN-backed treaty on cutting emissions that expires in 2012. Bush said, however, that any global accord would have to include the major developing nations, which were quickly joining the ranks of top polluters. "By 2008 the world's emitters of greenhouse gases should come together. Nothing is going to happen in terms of substantial reduction unless China and India participate." Blair said there had been progress at the summit in the Baltic resort of Heiligendamm on agreeing goals against climate change.
| 
