Bucharest, Romania
03 April 2008
An American official says the NATO summit has agreed to back plans to put a missile defense system in Europe. VOA's Paula Wolfson reports NATO leaders are also expected to urge Russia to drop its objections.
At a news conference, just hours before the leaders of the western military alliance began their work in Bucharest, Mr. Bush offered more assurances to Moscow. He says missile defense will top the agenda when he confers Sunday with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi.
"I've got some convincing to do. But he needs to understand the missile defense system is aimed primarily at rogue regimes coming out of the Middle East that could hold us all hostage," he said.
Mr. Bush predicted the talks will be frank and candid. Russian President-elect Dimitry Medvedev - who takes office next month - will join the discussions in Sochi.