U.S. seeks to narrow gaps with Russia

By Sue Pleming and Kristin Roberts

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Top U.S. officials head to Russia next week to improve prickly ties between the major powers but experts said it was unlikely the two sides would narrow differences on issues from missile defense to Kosovo.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates are due to arrive in Moscow on Monday for two days of talks with their counterparts.

The so-called 2+2 meetings follow similar talks in October between the four ministers in Moscow that ended with public clashes over U.S. plans for a missile defense shield in Europe and how to tackle Iran's nuclear program.

"It is no secret that the relationship is pretty scratchy and not very productive. It has been at the public level quite polemic," said James Collins, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia now with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

U.S. plans to build a missile defense shield in Europe, with pieces in formerly Soviet-allied countries, will again be a leading topic of the discussions.

Washington says the system is needed to defend against threats from states such as Iran, but Moscow strongly opposes the plan, calling it a threat. Russia has warned it will target missiles at the system if it is deployed in eastern Europe.

While Russian news service Interfax said Rice and Gates would present a missile defense proposal at the meetings next week, U.S. officials said they would offer nothing new.

"We are not going with any new initiative in hand," said Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell.

The United States, in fact, does not expect any agreement to emerge from the meetings. The goal, officials said, was to narrow the gaps between the two before U.S. President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet in April.

STANDING PROPOSALS

U.S. officials expect to talk about their standing proposals, aimed at easing Moscow's opposition to the $3.5 billion U.S. plan to place a radar station in the Czech Republic and interceptor missiles in Poland.

"There have been some creative proposals from us that have been on the table for several months and they have been a topic and a source for discussion with the Russian government," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.

Russia has so far rejected U.S. proposals, including an offer to let Russian officials inspect elements of the shield.

Poland and the Czech Republic have not yet agreed to host the U.S. shield. While Bush this week promised to help modernize Poland's military to secure Warsaw's agreement, U.S. defense officials are not sure they want to give Poland the air defense system it seeks.

The Czech government also faces an uphill battle for approval from its parliament to host the U.S. site.