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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush intends to offer a mix of arms purchases and military aid to Russia and other European allies in exchange for reduced resistance to his plans for a missile-defense system. The strategy will also seek to gather support for the shelving of the 1972 Antiballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty, officials said, a move needed to deploy such a missile-defense system. Administration officials told CNN the White House is prepared to purchase from Russia "components, sub-components and systems" suitable for missile defense. The officials noted that Russia has invested heavily in air- and missile-defense systems and some of its equipment "might be of significant value in deploying a missile-defense system." Among the subsystems the administration may be willing to purchase is the S-300 surface-to-air missile that could play a role in a missile-defense system. Officials stressed the White House is discussing equipment purchases and future aid with Russia and European allies. Both will have to be persuaded, officials said, before Bush can move ahead with deployment of a missile defense system that can offer Russia and European nations protection from an accidentally launched nuclear missile or one fired by a "rogue nation." "The talks are only [on] a very general level," one official said.

-- The Toner (the.toner@home.com), June 01, 2001

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Other aspects of the talks include increased U.S. interest in beefing up Russia's "early detection" systems to alert them to accidental missile launches, and joint exercises to track and shoot down missiles.

In a report by The Associated Press, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov quickly dismissed the talk of a U.S. package in exchange for scrapping the ABM.

"If such proposals come -- we have not yet received them -- I am sure that they will not solve the ABM issue," Ivanov said in the AP report..

Additionally, the White House is discussing future reductions in U.S. nuclear stockpiles. The official would not discuss numbers but said the administration is discussing reductions consistent with Bush's goal of lowering U.S. stockpiles to the "lowest possible levels" while maintaining what he calls an acceptable defense.

One complication in these talks, the official said, is Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's review of the U.S. defense budget and its systems.

Bush sent Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz and Deputy National Security Adviser Steve Hadley to brief Europeans and the Russians on the U.S. approach to missile defense and the future of the ABM Treaty. Bush has recently emphasized his willingness to consult with Russia and European allies to build support for his proposals.

Officials said Bush hopes to make progress on these and other issues when the president holds his first summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Slovenia June 16.

-- The Toner (the.toner@home.com), June 01, 2001.