Those acts created a furor in European capitals, and Bush's job approval ratings fell at home. Advisers now say they failed to brace U.S. allies and the American public. In response, Bush has suddenly taken up the fight against global warming. Seeking an alternative to stiff mandates found in the treaty, Bush is considering a package of mostly voluntary initiatives and flexible emissions caps for polluters. Aides say that before he leaves on Monday, the president will announce new money for research and technology aimed at reducing climate change.
Missile defense is another sticking point.
Allies fear Bush's aggressive approach will spark a new arms race. After U.S. diplomats hopscotched the globe, the administration was rebuffed in a meeting of NATO ministers. Later, Putin's government dismissed Bush's package of incentives designed to make a U.S. missile defense system less threatening. He is meeting Putin in a castle near Ljubljana, Slovenia. We shouldn't be locked into a Cold War mentality that says we keep the peace by blowing each other up.