George W Bush has said that he will meet with the president of Russia Vladimir Putin next week in Russia to try to break a logjam between the two nations over a proposed US missile defense system.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates are scheduled to meet their Russian counterparts early next week in Moscow to continue their strategic dialog on missile defense and other issues.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk will meet with President Bush Monday, in Washington to discuss U.S. plans to build a missile defense system in Poland.

The United States has tried to reassure Russia that a missile strike against a failed American spy satellite late Wednesday was not a test for the controversial missile defense system Washington wants to build in the Czech Republic and Poland. Stefan Bos reports that U.S. Acting Undersecretary for Arms Control and International Security, John Rood, made the comments in Budapest after talks with Russian officials.

President Vladimir Putin says Russia has common peaceful interests with the United States and Europe, but will be forced to target missiles against neighbors if threatened by NATO expansion. The Russian leader expressed these and other views of Russian foreign and domestic affairs during his annual Kremlin news conference, which lasted four hours and 40 minutes. VOA Moscow Correspondent Peter Fedynsky reports.

The Pentagon is disputing a claim by Russia's foreign minister that a series of written proposals on missile defense sent to Moscow last week do not match offers made verbally in October during a visit by Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice.

Russia will not abandon its plans to suspend implementation of a key European arms treaty even after of U.S. proposals for cooperation on missile defense, a leading Russian lawmaker said Friday according to ITAR-Tass news agency.

Poland will be ready to resume dialogue with the United States on the missile defense issue after consultations with NATO and neighboring states, the prime minister said on Friday.

The United States has formally made new proposals to Russia aimed at easing tension over its missile defence plans in Europe, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

U.S. missile defense plans for Europe will be discussed with Russia at a high-level meeting in Washington in November, a Russian Foreign Ministry official said on Thursday.

Russia has accused the United States of accelerating attempts to deploy anti-missile defences in central Europe, despite Russia's request for a freeze on the project.

The United States and Czech Republic are negotiating on a missile defense treaty to allow for a possible U.S. radar in the European country, spokesman Jan Hlousek said Tuesday.