"Bush Opens Europe Trip on Jarring Note" Putin threatens U.S.... Just peachy.

Bush Opens Europe Trip on Jarring Note
By TERENCE HUNT, AP White House Correspondent

2 hours ago

PRAGUE, Czech Republic - President Bush's European trip was jarred as it began Monday by deteriorating relations with Russia and threatening words from President Vladimir Putin.<snip>

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Already complaining of being encircled by NATO's expansion, Putin said putting missile defenses on Russia's doorstep would ignite a new arms race. He threatened to retarget Russia's missiles toward Europe. Bush says the anti-missile program is intended to protect Europe from states like Iran and North Korea, but Putin said neither country possesses the rockets the American system is intended to shoot down. "It's a defense against something which does not exist," the Russian president said. "It would be funny if it was not so sad." Flying to Europe with Bush, National Security Adviser Steve Hadley reacted cautiously to Putin. "There has been some escalation in the rhetoric," he said. "We think that is not helpful. We would like to have a constructive dialogue with Russia on this issue. We have in the past."

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged Putin to cool down. "This isn't the Soviet Union and we need to drop the rhetoric that sounds like what the United States and the Soviet Union used to say about each other and realize it is the United States and Russia in a very different period," Rice said on the way to an Organization of American States meeting in Panama City, Panama.

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"It doesn't really help anybody to start threatening the Europeans," she said. "You cannot launch a threat at Europe that is separable from the United States." Bush and his wife, Laura, arrived late Monday evening. In his only address of an eight-day trip through six countries, Bush will make a speech on Tuesday about supporting global democratic aspirations. Hadley said Russia, accused of backpedaling on democracy, would come up in that speech because "there are no exceptions to the freedom agenda."<snip>


FREEDOM AGENDA????

http://www.comcast.net/news/index.jsp?cat=GENERAL&fn=/2007/06/04/680570.html&cvqh=itn_putin

another bush 'endearment' tour.