Russia Hopes For Better Relations With Obama

By Vladimir Isachenkov

MOSCOW -- Russia's leaders said Monday they hope the United States will scrap its missile defense system in Europe and be more willing to negotiate a nuclear arms control deal once U.S. President-elect Barack Obama takes office.

The comments by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and his successor as president, Dmitry Medvedev, appeared to be the strongest signal yet that the Kremlin would like to step back from confrontation with the United States.

Putin said that Russia so far has failed to negotiate an extension or replacement of the 1991 START arms reduction treaty in talks with U.S. officials, but added that a deal could be struck with Obama's administration.

The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, which expires at the end of next year, significantly cut U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals.

"We hope that the new U.S. leadership will be more constructive, responsible and -- this is quite important -- farsighted," compared to their predecessors, Putin said in a speech at a lawyers' conference Monday, which was carried by Russian news agencies.

Medvedev said he hopes Obama's administration will scrap plans for missile defense sites in Poland and the Czech Republic that have badly strained ties between Moscow and Washington under U.S. President George W. Bush.

"There is a chance for that," Medvedev said on a trip to Peru for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, in comments broadcast Monday. "While the position of the current administration on the issue is extremely rigid ... the position of the president-elect looks more careful."