U.S.-Russia Summit Yields Modest Arms Control Proposals
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: We begin this morning at the Moscow summit, where President Clinton and President Vladimir Putin are holding a second day of talks. Their discussions have focused on arms control, and there's word the two leaders have reached some agreements, but they remain at odds on other issues. CNN's John King joins us live from Moscow with the latest. Hi, John.</s>JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Kyra. Russian economic reform and U.S. opposition to the Russian military campaign in Chechnya also on the agenda here on day two of the U.S.-Russia summit. But as you mentioned, several new modest arms control agreements likely to be struck, although U.S. officials saying don't look for any breakthroughs on the big disputes. Now, Presidents Clinton and Putin met first face to face this morning at the Kremlin, each bringing one aide with them into the discussions, as well as a translator. That session so that the presidents could directly negotiate, and U.S. officials say, get to know each other just a little bit better. From there it was into the larger summit session. This time the presidents walking in the room to be greeted by a larger delegation, each of them bringing their top national security and diplomatic advisers into those talks. Now, look for two agreements later today, when the presidents have a news conference: one, the two nations have agreed to convert some 68 tons of weapons-grade plutonium, enough to build thousands of nuclear warheads, that instead will be converted for civilian purposes, mainly at nuclear power plants; also, an unprecedented agreement under which U.S. and Russian military commanders will sit side by side in a new center designed to track missile launches. Both of these agreements follow ups to recent agreements between the United States and Russia, those agreements designed to make sure that Russian technology and nuclear materials don't end up in the hands of nations that Washington considers unfriendly, and to limit the possibility of an accidental missile launch. But no breakthrough on the big issue: Russian opposition to that planned U.S. national missile defense system. And because Russia so objects to that system, President Putin has said he will not talk about reductions in strategic nuclear missiles until Washington backs off on that one. Again, both leaders will have a news conference after they finish their summit talks today. John King, CNN, reporting live from Moscow.</s>PHILLIPS: John, one quick question, you mentioned objections, what objections are the Russians having?</s>KING: Russia disagrees on the scope of the threat, number one. The United States says North Korea, Iran, Iraq, and possibly other nations are developing technology and ultimately could reach the United States with a nuclear missile. Russia says the threat is not so significant and that it should be solved diplomatically. Russia also says that if the United States builds such a system, it will have to build such a system to keep up and that, that would take money away from desperately needed economic reforms and infrastructure investments here in Russia -- Kyra.</s>PHILLIPS: John King live in Moscow, thank you.