Bush, Putin to Lock Antlers on Missile Defense

President Bush accepted Russian President Vladimir Putin's invitation today to continue the two nations' often strained talks over a proposed US missile defense system in central Europe. The two heads of state will meet April 6 in the Black Sea resort town of Sochi, the Washington Post reports, for likely the last time before Putin changes jobs May 7.

Putin has denounced Bush's plan to install 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar station in the Czech Republic, arguing it would weaken Russia's nuclear capabilities. Bush remains "optimistic" about the plan. And in other nuclear-superpower news today, Bush phoned Chinese leader Hu Jintao to clarify that a 2006 shipment of nuclear warhead components to Taiwan was indeed a mistake. (More George W. Bush stories.)