US Defense Secretary Gates Visits Moscow
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Russia’s Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov meeting in Moscow. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, Pool)
US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is in Russia, wrapping up a two-day visit. He met with his Russian counterpart, Anatoly Serdyukov, today and talked shop.
Topic #1: Libya. Serdyukov called for a ceasefire. Gates sat stonily by. Serdyukov decried the killing of civilians. Gates said the coalition was doing its utmost to avoid civilian casualties.
Topic #2: Missile defense. At least here the two men agreed that they continue to disagree. Both sides have offered some compromise – with President Obama moving the proposed sites of a missile defense system from Poland and the Czech Republic, as posited undder former president Bush. Russia, meanwhile, has dropped its total opposition to the project. Further negotiations lie ahead.
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