Putin threatens retaliation over Star Wars plan

If America presses ahead with its "Son of Star Wars" missile shield, Russia will retaliate by putting more nuclear warheads on to each of its ballistic missiles, President Vladimir Putin has warned.

After an unexpectedly cordial summit with George Bush in Slovenia at the weekend, Mr Putin seemed intent on showing that his opposition to the scheme, which might mean the United States leaving the anti-ballistic missile (ABM) treaty of 1972, had not changed.

Speaking to American reporters summoned to the Kremlin library late on Monday, he claimed that even if America decided unilaterally to abandon the ABM treaty it would not for 25 years be able "to cause substantial detriment to the national security interests of Russia".

He said that if America dumped the ABM treaty, under which Washington and Moscow agreed not to try to create missile defences, then Russia would immediately tear up the Start I and Start II treaties under which both sides' nuclear arsenals are being reduced.

Mr Putin's remarks are the clearest sign yet that Moscow really does see US missile defence as an attempt by Washington to change the nuclear balance between the former Cold War adversaries.

The Russian economy may have declined catastrophically since the break-up of the Soviet Union but Moscow still has nearly 6,000 nuclear warheads. In a conciliatory move, Mr Putin hinted that he might discuss the ABM treaty. But at the same time, the Russian leader was dismissive of the technical feasibility of missile defence. "It's like hitting a bullet with a bullet. Is it possible today or not?" he said. "Today experts say it is impossible to achieve this."

He added that Mr Bush's justification for a missile defence shield ­ that is, the security threat from so-called "rogue" states such as North Korea ­ did not exist because Pyonyang's missiles were based on antiquated German and Soviet technology.

The apparent friendliness of the mini-summit between Mr Putin and Mr Bush in Slovenia, and the agreement of the two leaders to exchange visits, has elevated the Russian leader's international prestige. The Kremlin, always wanting to be treated as if it were still the centre of the Soviet Union, had sought such a meeting since Mr Bush's inauguration in January.

Mr Putin also revealed for the first time that he had passed on a message from the Chinese President, Jiang Zemin, to Mr Bush that China wants to put behind it the accidental downing of an American reconnaissance plane by a Chinese fighter in April. Russia has cultivated closer relations with China as a possible counter-poise to America.

The Russian leader's warning about Russia's reaction if America abrogates the ABM treaty may be an effort to underline the fact that good personal relations between himself and Mr Bush does not give America a free hand. One danger, from Russia's point of view, is that the White House might use the success of the mini-summit to undercut criticism by France and Germany of the missile defence plan and of the expansion of Nato east. Both have insisted Russian opinion had to be taken into account.

The Republican Mr Bush might also ask the Democrat-controlled US Senate why it was so worried by missile defence if Russia was not. Mr Putin reiterated to the American reporters that he had got on well with Mr Bush. "I must say he is a nice person to talk to," he said.

He also joked that Mr Bush had put up with his attempts to converse in English. "I attempted to say a few words to President Bush in English. He was extremely nice about it. He pretended to understand what I was talking about."

It was the first time since he took over from Boris Yeltsin, who resigned on 31 December 1999, that Mr Putin had invited a group of American correspondents to the Kremlin.