Moscow - Russia poured cold water yesterday on expectations that the US and Russia would tie up a major strategic arms agreement at a summit this month, saying it was "not on the agenda".
The Foreign Minister, Mr Igor Ivanov, speaking 10 days before a summit between Russia's President Putin and the US President, Mr Bush, said it was "premature" to speak of the two leaders striking a compromise that would allow Washington to develop missile defence without scrapping a major arms control treaty.