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Clinton, Putin Remain Apart on Arms Control, Missile Defense

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ANDRIA HALL, CNN ANCHOR: U.S. President Bill Clinton is spending his final night in Russia, part of his week-long European trip. Earlier, Mr. Clinton and Russian President Vladimir Putin wrapped-up their two-day summit, agreeing to disagree about arms control.

More on what divides the two nations, CNN's John King is traveling with the president.

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JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was a summit that opened a new era in U.S.-Russian relations but produced no breakthrough on the biggest obstacles to a major new arms control deal.

New Russian President Vladimir Putin moved a bit closer to his guest by acknowledging the growing threat of a rogue missile launch, but he stood firm in his opposition to a proposed U.S. missile defense system.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We're against having a cure which is worse than the disease.

KING: Arms control is a staple of U.S.-Russia summits, and this one was no different. This agreement calls for reprocessing 68 tons of nuclear weapons-grade plutonium for civilian use. The leaders also signed an unprecedented deal to build a new center at which U.S. and Russian military officers will share early warning data on military and space launches.

WILLIAM J. CLINTON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is terribly important. It is the first permanent U.S.-Russia military operation ever.

KING: There were nearly nine hours of talks over two days of Kremlin summitry, but little movement on a big-ticket arms control deal, although both leaders want one. The Start II agreement allows each country no more than 3,500 strategic warheads by 2007. Two thousand to 2,500 has been the target for the next round, but Putin wants even deeper cuts, to 1,500. Mr. Clinton was skeptical and suggested he would think about it only if Russia agreed to the U.S. missile shield.

CLINTON: I'm eager to go below the Start II levels, but I also want to try to solve the new threat as well.

KING: The Russian military campaign in Chechnya drew another public rebuke from Mr. Clinton, but in virtually the same breath the president embraced the Putin economic reform plan and said it was time for U.S. investors to give Russia's economy another look.

CLINTON: I think he is fully capable of building a prosperous, strong Russia, while preserving freedom and pluralism and the rule of law.

KING: No-nonsense handshakes replaced the hearty hugs of the Yeltsin years. And while there was no signature arms deal, the U.S. side came away impressed by Russia's new leader and his promised motto of cooperation not confrontation.

(on camera): The question now is whether this businesslike spirit can be translated into major progress before Mr. Clinton leaves office seven months from now, or whether the still-significant differences on missile defense and other issues will carry over to the next U.S. president.

John King, CNN, Moscow.

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