Bush pledges to cut nukes

Associated Press

WASHINGTON — President Bush said Monday he will slash U.S. nuclear weapons to "substantially lower" levels even if Russian President Vladimir Putin refuses to respond with similar cuts. The two leaders open three days of talks here today.

The president suggested he still has differences with Putin over the U.S. missile defense program, which will soon violate the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty unless the pact is scrapped or amended. Putin has signaled that he is ready to agree to a formula that will allow the United States go ahead with tests related to missile defense as long as Bush preserves the treaty.

"The ABM treaty is outdated because it will prevent the United States from researching and developing weapons systems that will really reflect the true threats of the 21st century," Bush said Monday. "The big threat for us and for the Russians is not each other, but somebody developing weapons of mass destruction."

Though they are playing down the chances for a breakthrough on the ABM, senior administration officials said Monday it is likely that the pair will reach an accommodation on the issue — if not full agreement — before Putin leaves Bush’s Texas ranch on Thursday.

Bush said one thing is certain: He will announce his numerical goals for reducing U.S. nuclear stockpiles.

Russia, no longer able to afford a Cold War nuclear stockpile, has proposed new limits on U.S. and Russian stockpiles of not more than 2,000 long-range warheads for each country, down from a current total of about 6,000 each. A senior U.S. official said last week Bush’s range dipped below 2,000.

Bush said the leaders will sign a communique and complete several agreements including: