Powell says missile defense in the cards though Russia objects

Bush and Putin held nearly two hours of face-to-face talks

From CNN White House Correspondent Major Garrett

WASHINGTON -- The United States will go ahead with plans for a missile defense system with or without Russia's support, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has said.

Powell's remarks came a day after a summit in Slovenia between U.S. President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the first for the two leaders.

Bush, who returned to Washington late Saturday night, did not come away with Putin's backing for the missile defense plan, but said he believes both nations can forge a "new era" in relations.

Powell said he was pleased with the apparently "warm" relations Bush and Putin struck with one other, saying the two were "off to such a good start." But, he said, Bush is committed to missile defense.

IN-DEPTH Bush in Europe   • Bush's European tour   • On the issues   • Q&A: Missile defence   • Flash: Missile defence   • News search   • Video archive   • Bush in Europe, Part I   • Quickvote   • Gallery: Bush visits Europe   Transcripts   • World Bank speech   • Meeting with Blair   • Meeting with Berlusconi   • Bush statement to pope   • Pope statement to Bush   • Bush speech in Kosovo   In-depth specials   • G8 summit: Genoa 2001   • Europe's view on Bush   • Changing face of Europe   • Climate change   • TIME special report   VIDEO CNN's Jill Dougherty reports on what Bush and Putin will likely discuss at the meeting (June 15) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)   AUDIO Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses questions regarding missile defense (English translation) 1.76 MB / 75 seconds AIFF or WAV sound President Bush comments on his meeting with Putin on Saturday 1.17 MB / 1 minute AIFF or WAV sound   TIME.com Russia doubts U.S. line on NATO     ON THE SCENE Jill Dougherty on Bush and Putin's meeting

"We believe we know what the future needs and that will include missile defense, so we hope that we can persuade the Russians to find a way to move forward with us," he said. "If not, we'll have to move forward on our own. But it's better if we can move forward together."

After nearly two hours of face-to-face talks on Saturday, Bush said he felt he could "trust" Putin.

The leaders agreed to meet for summits in each country. Bush invited Putin to his ranch in Crawford, Texas, in the autumn. Putin returned the courtesy with an invitation to his home in Moscow.

They will also meet at the Group of Eight meeting in Genoa, Italy, next month and in Shanghai at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in October.

"I wouldn't have invited him to my ranch if I didn't trust him," Bush said at a joint news conference after the two spent 1 hour and 40 minutes in one-on-one talks -- more than twice the time originally scheduled. "We can make the world safer, more prosperous."

For his part, Putin said the "reality was better than the expectations" leading up to his first encounter with the new U.S. president.

"I think that we found a good basis to start building on our cooperation," Putin said.

The meeting was so candid and warm, Putin said, it should "put an end to these rumors" that the two men would never surmount differences on key issues.

But differences remain and were in no way obscured, both presidents said.

Senior U.S. officials said the disagreements over future development of a U.S. missile defense system remained just as large. Putin said the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty lies at the center of the "modern architecture" of arms control.

To proceed with advanced testing of a missile defense system, the United States would have to persuade Russia to accept significant changes in the ABM treaty -- signed with the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War -- or unilaterally abandon the treaty.

Bush said it was time for "a new approach to a new era," a sentiment he expressed with NATO leaders as he defended his push for a missile defense system that could protect the United States, Europe and Russia from the threat of the launch of a ballistic missile armed with a nuclear warhead or biological or chemical weapons.

After the meeting, Secretary of State Colin Powell said the ABM treaty was written "for a time of the red and blue lines," a reference to the Cold War color-coding U.S. military planners used to differentiate between NATO allies and the Warsaw Pact countries.

The thinking behind ABM, which viewed any defense against ballistic missiles as a way to give one nation an advantage in a nuclear war, must be "updated," he said.

Senior U.S. officials said Putin is "open" to continued dialogue on missile defense. To prove the point, both presidents assigned their two top diplomatic and military advisers to meet to discuss differences.

Bush and Putin plan to pursue discussion on regional issues. Some of the conflicts the two leaders mentioned were the Balkans, Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan, and Afghanistan.

"I have to say that this discussion showed that the differences in our approaches in the very fundamental areas are much less than that which unites us," Putin said.