Putin Eyes New Framework for Russian-American Ties

MOSCOW — The outgoing president, Vladimir Putin, in talks with President Bush's two top foreign policy aides, embraced yesterday an American proposal to set a broad agenda for the future — not just on the thorny issue of missile defense but on a range of problems the next American and Russian leaders will face.

Mr. Putin, whose handpicked successor, Dmitry Medvedev, is due to take office May 7, told Secretary of State Rice and Defense Secretary Gates that his nation is ready to accept portions of a proposed new framework for often-troubled American-Russian relations. He did not provide details.

Mr. Putin disclosed that he had received and closely analyzed a letter from Mr. Bush, which a Gates spokesman said was meant to spell out an agenda for this week's talks in Moscow and to propose that both sides agree on the fundamental issues for the future of their relationship.

Ms. Rice said that Mr. Bush sent the letter last week after talking by phone with Mr. Putin to set up this week's meetings in Moscow. "The president wanted to assess whether there was an openness to cooperation on issues that have been difficult, like missile defense," Ms. Rice said after the Putin and Medvedev meetings.

"I frankly was surprised at the relatively positive tone of the meetings, both with the president-elect and with President Putin," Mr. Gates told reporters. "I think we have some opportunities here. We'll see."

Mr. Bush offered to send Mr. Gates and Ms. Rice because he hoped that "maybe we're close enough on some of these issues that we can bring them to closure," Mr. Gates said. Today, Ms Rice and Mr. Gates are scheduled to meet their Russian counterparts for a full day of discussions on missile defense and several other issues.

The Bush administration's push to expand its missile defense network into central Europe — and Mr. Putin's firm and unrelenting opposition to it — is the most contentious security issue facing the two countries. But there are other issues, including economic and political matters, which the Bush administration would like to see advanced as Mr. Putin steps aside to assume a role of uncertain political clout.