Together, we can address today's threats and pursue today's opportunities.'' Such inclusive remarks flatter the Russians, who have been virtually pleading for an early Bush-Putin summit, so far unsuccessfully. Mr Bush called British, French, German, and Japanese leaders to brief them on his speech and then, a full day later, he also spent 12 minutes on the phone to Mr Putin. The Kremlin is increasingly on the defensive, keen to maintain parity at the negotiating table with the Americans. But the Russians are punching above their weight and they know it. If Mr Bush's central message on missile defence and arms control is that the cold war is history, it follows that the US victor will be less than accommodating towards the vanquished enemy.
Magnanimity appears in short supply.
The Kremlin's eagerness to engage with the Americans reflects the fear of US unilateralism. If Mr Bush this week signalled he wanted to slash the US nuclear arsenal to sweeten the bitter Star Wars pill, there was little sign that he wanted to pursue the arms cuts in tandem with the Russians. Mr Putin, too, is keen to enact large cuts in Russia's nuclear warheads to around one-quarter of current stockpiles, not least for reasons of economics and badly needed military reform. But he wants that to happen in concert with the Americans to show that Russia is still a great power commanding international prestige, his central leadership pledge to the Russian public. Besides, the nuclear arsenal is perhaps Russia's sole remaining source of leverage with the Americans.