US President Mr George W. Bush said last night he is prepared to announce substantial cuts in US nuclear weapons during talks with Russian President Mr Vladimir Putin.
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During an interview with a small group of Russian reporters, Mr Bush signalled possible nuclear arms cuts by both sides but was cautious on whether there would be a breakthrough on the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) treaty during three days of talks with Mr Putin that begin today.
"We'll talk about offensive weapons, and the desire of both our nations to reduce our offensive weapons. I have a number that I'll share with him, and it is going to be substantially lower than today's weaponry. And I presume he'll have a number that he'll share with me," Mr Bush said.
"Regardless of whether he were to or not, I'm going to . . . reduce our weapons. It is the right thing for America to do," he said.
Discussing the ABM treaty, Mr Bush said he would argue his case it is outdated because it blocks deployment of a missile defence system. He said he would be willing to share US information on the system with Russia and other allies.
