( L - R ) BUSH and PUTIN HEILIGENDAMM, Germany (Reuters):
United States (U.S.) President George W. Bush criticised Russia on democracy yesterday, but sought to calm President Vladimir Putin's anger over U.S. missile shield plans on the eve of a G8 summit in Germany.
Speaking in Prague before heading to the Baltic coast resort of Heiligendamm for the meeting of major powers, Bush said Putin had nothing to fear from the shield, calling it a "purely defensive" measure.
"Russia is not our enemy," Bush said after meeting Czech leaders on a visit aimed at highlighting the country's emergence from Soviet domination.
He said he would urge Putin at the summit to cooperate with the U.S. plan to deploy a radar system in the Czech Republic and interceptor missiles in Poland, but later in a speech took a dig at Moscow's record on democracy.
"In Russia, reforms that once promised to empower citizens have been derailed, with troubling implications for democratic development," Bush said.
His comments are part of an escalating war of words between the former Cold War rivals which the German hosts fear could overshadow the June 6-8 summit of the so-called Group of Eight - Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States.
Putin has said if Washington pushes ahead with its plans to deploy the missile system, Russia will revert to targeting its missiles on Europe as it did during the Cold War.
MOVEMENT ON CLIMATE
The two powers are also at odds on the fate of breakaway Serbian province Kosovo, with Washington backing independence and Moscow supporting Belgrade's efforts to prevent autonomy at all costs.
On global warming, another contentious issue where the Europeans have clashed frequently with Washington, it appeared leaders would make progress on goals to negotiate a follow-up to the Kyoto Protocol which Washington shunned in 2001.
New climate change proposals from Bush last week had sown fears in Europe that Washington would go outside the well-established United Nations process to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
