Blair to hold missile talks in Moscow

Blair greets Putin during his visit to London in April

LONDON, England -- UK Prime Minister Tony Blair is to travel to Moscow this week for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin which will cover moves to reduce nuclear missiles.

The two leaders get down to business on Tuesday, when Putin is expected to explain his new initiative for Russia and the United States to drastically cut their arsenals of long-range nuclear missiles as part of an intensified disarmament effort.

Putin said last week that Russia is ready to consider an even lower limit than the 1,500 nuclear warheads on each side that Moscow now proposes could be reached by 2008.

He may reiterate to Blair Russia's worries about a U.S. proposal to build a missile defence system -- a decision that U.S. President Bill Clinton has left to his successor.

Blair has said he is ready to mediate on the missile defence issue, saying he understands both the U.S. commitment to create a national missile shield and Russia's concerns that such plans could ruin a cornerstone arms control pact.

The American system could also rely on a base in Britain.

Blair has said he believes Putin wants a new relationship with the West, and "talks our language" on reform.

But the UK prime minister's office has remained on the defensive about the relationship in view of alleged Russian atrocities in Chechnya and Putin's image as a tough operator who has sought to bring his political opponents to heel.

Blair was the first Western leader to get together with Putin, travelling to an opera premiere in St Petersburg two weeks before the Russian President was elected in March.

Then Putin came to London in April for his first appearance on the world stage as the new leader of Russia.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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