WHEN US President George Bush and Russian leader Vladimir Putin met at Bucharest in Romania there was hope that certain old issues would be sorted out. Both leaders, whose tenures will be over soon, on Sunday met again in Sochi - a Black Sea resort in Southwestern Russia. Although, US presidential aides denied that there was any design to press with and achieve progress toward the missile deal at Sochi, Putin in a private discussion with NATO leaders in Romania has expressed his concern about deploying US missile defense system in Europe. The Sochi declaration held out the possibility of Moscow and Washington working together on the anti-missile question - one of the most divisive issues over the last year of increasingly tumultuous relations. While suspicions persist, the Bucharest and Sochi meetings have to be seen against the background where both leaders are soon to step down as presidents of their countries. There seems a desire on both the sides to achieve something at the eleventh hour. Putin has so far demonstrated more of a positive stance. He told reporters in Bucharest that “concerns about our own security have been heard.” He went further to add that he saw “no possibility of a return to Cold War,” adding that it was “in nobody's interest.” However, he strongly opposed extending NATO's enlargement that would include Ukraine, Georgia, Croatia and Albania. Russians see NATO's enlargement as a “huge strategic mistake.” NATO's own research has convinced member states that there is a potential missile threat and that now the alliance is convinced that the “US efforts to coordinate their plans with Russia are serious.” During the Summit Bush has also covered grounds like persuading France to send more troops to Afghanistan. North Atlantic Treaty Organization was formed in 1949 on the basis of the Brussels Treaty of 1948. The idea was to guard against possible Soviet aggression. Times have changed and the nine US Interceptor missiles in Poland and the radar in the Czech Republic are supposed to protect US and its allies against “rogue states.” Moscow sees no rogue state on the horizon and considers it a threat to Russia. Sochi - a smoke-free city since 1977 - didn't witness any fireworks as was expected given the deep hostility between the two sides. __
