Washington and Moscow agree to tone down rhetoric

MOSCOW — Russia and the United States agreed Tuesday to moderate their rhetoric in a bid to improve strained ties, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said after she met with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Yet deep differences remained over a U.S. missile defense plan for Europe. Rice said flatly that no country, including Russia, would have a "veto" on issues the United States decides in its own national security interests.

Speaking separately, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov suggested that Rice had not dispelled Moscow opposition to the plan. "Our stance on missile defense was reaffirmed," he said.

Rice said that missile defense continues to be an area that the two countries needed "to work through."

She also said that recent comments by Putin and other Russians had not been "helpful" to relations and had obscured positive developments and cooperation on a wide range of issues, including the fight against terrorism and halting the spread of weapons of mass destruction.

"We did talk about the need to keep the temperature down," Rice said after seeing Putin in an effort to calm rising tensions between the former Cold War enemies.

She described some remarks as "overheated rhetoric," while accepting a Russian explanation that Putin's recent reference in a speech to Nazi Germany, widely perceived as criticism of the United States, was not intended to slight the Bush administration.

"I have said while I am here that the rhetoric is not helpful," Rice told reporters. "It is disturbing to Americans who are trying to do our best to maintain an even relationship."

"We are going to have our differences, there is no doubt about that. There are going to be old scars to overcome, there is no doubt about that ... But the relationship needs to be free of exaggerated rhetoric," she said.

Asked whether she thought her message was received by the Russians, Rice replied: "I sure hope so, because I don't think you ever hear President Bush use certain kinds of rhetoric about Russia because he respects the partnership."

Said Lavrov: "The president (Putin) supported the American side's understanding that it's necessary to tone down the rhetoric in public statements and concentrate on concrete business."

In another key area, Rice's Russian counterpart said that the two countries agreed to search for a mutually acceptable solution on Kosovo, but failed to achieve a breakthrough.