The US President is in the Kremlin this evening for his first meeting with Vladimir Putin since he was elected Russian president. Mr Putin is hosting an informal dinner for a narrow circle of guests in the Russian leader's private apartment in the Kremlin. Bill Clinton and Mr Putin are scheduled to meet tomorrow for formal talks, which are expected to be dominated by arms control.
It is expected that Mr Clinton and Mr Putin will discuss the proposed US anti-missiles defence system, which is vehemently opposed by Russia and Western Europe. Mr Putin has vowed to tear up all arms accord with the United States if Washington goes ahead with the system unilaterally. Bill Clinton will spend the earlier part of the day at a summit in Berlin on globalisation attended by centre-left world leaders from fourteen countries.
Earlier, the US Secretary of State said that proposals made by Mr Putin to set up a joint anti-missile defence system indicated that he appears to accept there was a threat from what Washington calls "rogue states", such as North Korea. Madeleine Albright said that, while the proposals were not new, his comments indicated that Russia was open to discussions.
