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No progress at Nato-Russia talks Putin holds 'positive' Nato talks
(about 2 hours later)
Nato Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer has said there were no breakthroughs in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russian President Vladimir Putin has described as positive his talks with Nato leaders at a summit in Romania.
Leaders from the alliance met Mr Putin in Romania after Nato accepted a US missile defence plan and left the door open to taking in Georgia and Ukraine. But he warned again that any Nato's expansion eastwards would be seen as a direct threat, referring to Georgia's and Ukraine's bids to join the bloc.
Russia had opposed the missile defence shield as well as plans for eastern states to join alliance. The outgoing Russian president also expressed concerns over plans to deploy a US missile defence system in Europe.
Mr Putin described Friday's meeting with Nato as positive. Nato chief Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said the talks with Mr Putin were positive but yielded no major breakthroughs.
But he repeated Russia's opposition to Nato accepting eastern countries as new members.
The BBC's Jonathan Marcus reports from the Romanian capital of Bucharest that on the big issues, Russia and Nato do not see eye to eye.The BBC's Jonathan Marcus reports from the Romanian capital of Bucharest that on the big issues, Russia and Nato do not see eye to eye.
But he says a measure of how far Russia is prepared move on those issues will only become clear when Mr Putin meets US President George W Bush at the Russian leader's Black Sea residence in Sochi this weekend. But he says a measure of how far Russia is prepared move on those issues will become clear only when Mr Putin meets US President George W Bush at the Russian leader's Black Sea residence in Sochi this weekend.
'Positive spirit' On Friday, Mr Bush arrived in Croatia ahead of the talks in Sochi.
'Huge strategic mistake'
Mr Putin told reporters after the talks in Bucharest on Friday: "What is positive in today's dialogue is that our concerns about ensuring our own security... have been heard."
Win some, lose some for USMacedonia veto stokes fearsSend us your comments
Mr Putin, who is stepping down as president in May, also said that he saw no possibility of a return to Cold War, arguing that it was "in nobody's interests".
But he again voiced strong opposition to any extension of Nato eastwards to include Ukraine and Georgia.
Nato has left open the option of taking in the two former Soviet republics as members, though it failed to agree a blueprint.
Moscow has said the alliance's promise of eventual membership to its neighbours is "a huge strategic mistake".
In Bucharest, Mr Putin also said the US missile shield in the Czech Republic and Poland - a plan that had been accepted by Nato - did not help build trust between the alliance and Russia.
Balkan expansion
Mr de Hoop Scheffer said the talks with Russia had been conducted "in a positive spirit".Mr de Hoop Scheffer said the talks with Russia had been conducted "in a positive spirit".
But, he said: "I cannot report that this morning we saw stunning breakthroughs."But, he said: "I cannot report that this morning we saw stunning breakthroughs."
In a session between Nato and Ukraine, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko sought to reassure Russia that its bid for membership was not targeted at any other country. In a separate session between Nato and Ukraine, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko sought to reassure Russia that its bid for membership was not targeted at any other country.
Mr de Hoop Scheffer said there was "not a sliver of a doubt" that Ukraine and Georgia would join Nato before long.Mr de Hoop Scheffer said there was "not a sliver of a doubt" that Ukraine and Georgia would join Nato before long.
Nato has left the option of taking in Georgia and Ukraine as members open, though it failed to agree a blueprint. During the summit, Albania and Croatia were invited to join the 26-member alliance.
Russia said the alliance's promise of eventual membership to its neighbours was "a huge strategic mistake". But Macedonia was told it must solve a dispute over its name with Greece before becoming a member.
Eastward expansion Conciliatory gesture
During the summit Albania and Croatia have been invited to join the 26-member alliance, while Macedonia was told it must solve a dispute with Greece before becoming a member. It was President Putin's first and last appearance as president at a Nato summit.
Win some, lose some for USMacedonia veto stokes fearsSend us your comments
Sergei Ryabkov, director of the Russian foreign ministry's department on European cooperation said that taking in Ukraine and Georgia would be "the biggest possible strategic error".
"The Nato statement adds to the questions and concerns of the Russian side on what direction the Nato structure is evolving into," he said.
"This is an alliance that has given itself a global role without any legal limitations on use of force."
It was President Putin's first and last appearance at a Nato summit.
He leaves office next month, though he is said to be expected to serve as prime minister under president-elect Dmitry Medvedev.He leaves office next month, though he is said to be expected to serve as prime minister under president-elect Dmitry Medvedev.
At the beginning of Russia's session with Nato on Friday, Russia signed an agreement to allow the transport of non-military freight to Nato forces in Afghanistan.At the beginning of Russia's session with Nato on Friday, Russia signed an agreement to allow the transport of non-military freight to Nato forces in Afghanistan.
But the deal does not include the movement of troops or air transits that Nato had originally requested, Reuters news agency reported.But the deal does not include the movement of troops or air transits that Nato had originally requested, Reuters news agency reported.
Conciliatory gesture In a conciliatory gesture, Nato offered Moscow the chance to look at extending the US missile defence plan to Russia itself.
The US missile defence plan accepted by Nato allies includes bases in the Czech Republic and Poland.
In a conciliatory gesture, Nato offered Moscow the chance to look at extending that defence to Russia itself.
The agreement calls for steps to be taken to deploy a parallel Nato system to defend any countries not covered by the US scheme.The agreement calls for steps to be taken to deploy a parallel Nato system to defend any countries not covered by the US scheme.
The decision was seen as a significant victory for President Bush.
The US says it is needed to counter a potential threat from rogue states like Iran, but Moscow had expressed fears it could be used against Russia.The US says it is needed to counter a potential threat from rogue states like Iran, but Moscow had expressed fears it could be used against Russia.
The Nato agreement came as US and Czech officials announced they had reached a deal to site a missile defence radar on Czech soil, while Poland and the US resumed talks in Warsaw on locating 10 interceptor missiles in Poland. The Nato proposal to Russia came as US and Czech officials announced they had reached a deal to site a missile defence radar on Czech soil, while Poland and the US resumed talks in Warsaw on locating 10 interceptor missiles in Poland.