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CNN Live Today

Bush, Putin Sign Arms Treaty

Aired May 24, 2002 - 11:16   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Presidents Bush and Putin signed a historic arms treaty in Moscow today. The deal will put thousands of nuclear warheads into storage over the next decade. Critics say since the weapons are not being destroyed, though, it opens the door for nuclear arms theft.

Still, the two presidents say there is reason to celebrate. Mr. Bush says friends don't need to point nuclear weapons at each other. President Putin says the United States and Russia need to keep some warheads because other countries have them or are trying to get them. The Bushes and Putins, as you know, got cozy in Crawford last fall. And now it's time for a little Russian hospitality, too, when business is done.

Our Moscow Bureau Chief Jill Dougherty joins us live now -- good morning.

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF: Good morning, Carol.

Well, after they signed all those important documents, they took a little stroll, and it was through a very historic area here in Moscow. It's the Cathedral Square, which is right in the heart of the Kremlin. A beautiful square with a number of medieval Russian churches. In fact, one of the most important churches in Russia where the czars used to be crowned.

It was a beautiful sight, and they had a little bit of time to do that. You know, Carol, the relationship actually has become surprisingly warm. It began, as we all know, in Slovenia, where they met for the first time. That's the place that George Bush said that he had looked into the soul of Vladimir Putin.

And it's not the back-slapping type of relationship that you had with Boris Yeltsin and Bill Clinton, but they obviously have found something in common. Then, of course, they renewed the friendship when President Putin went to the United States and spent some time in Texas, getting that Texas hospitality from President Bush. And now, time to show some Russian hospitality, as you put it.

They're going to be having dinner, Mr. and Mrs. Bush, out at the residence of President Putin and Lyudmila, his wife. It's outside, actually, of Moscow, kind of in the suburbs. It's called Novo- Ogarevo, and it is a -- kind of what I guess you'd call a residence, a dacha, maybe, as Russians put it. And that's the place where they should have some good Russian food, be able to kick back a little bit after this long day -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And I understand, too, Jill, that President Bush and Mrs. Bush, I gather, will be sleeping at the residence. How unusual is that?

DOUGHERTY: Well, it seemed a little unusual. We heard about that today. We didn't know that that was going to happen, but apparently it is the case. Actually, Bill Clinton, when he was here, stayed inside the Kremlin. President Bush has been staying in a hotel in the city. So there are different ways of doing it.

But tonight should be very nice, where they get a chance to continue the conversation between the two men and the two wives.

COSTELLO: Interesting. Well, thank you very much. Jill Dougherty, reporting live from Moscow this morning.

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