U.S., Russian military leaders in 'businesslike' talks

HELSINKI, Finland - The top U.S. military officer held "businesslike" talks on Georgia, Afghanistan and missile defense with his Russian counterpart yesterday, a signal of thawing relations between the two powers.

At an isolated manor house in Finland, it was the highest-level military meeting between the two countries since Russia's war with U.S. ally Georgia in August. The conflict strained already tense ties between Washington and Moscow.

Adm. Michael G. Mullen, head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Gen. Nikolai Makarov "discussed a wide range of issues, including the future of NATO and the current status of missile-defense systems in Europe," said Kim Hargan, a U.S. Embassy spokesman.

Mullen later called Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, saying they had a "productive, businesslike conversation," Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said.

A U.S. defense official said that Makarov, who became Russia's top military officer in June, suggested the meeting and that the two military leaders covered a range of topics, including Georgia, Black Sea operations, and Afghanistan as it related to NATO involvement.

Makarov told Russia's RIA-Novosti news agency that they talked about the resumption of the Russia-NATO Council, which was suspended after the Georgia war. A decision on resuming the council, a forum that brought NATO countries and Russia together, will be made in November or December "and this question remains in the Americans' court," Makarov said.

The United States sharply criticized Russia's invasion of Georgia, an aspiring NATO member. Georgia has received hundreds of millions of dollars in economic aid, and its armed forces received extensive training from U.S. instructors.

Those moves irked Russia, which views Georgia as part of its historical sphere of influence and fears the prospect of another former Soviet republic joining NATO.

Washington and Moscow have also clashed over U.S. plans to base elements of a missile-defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic. Russia fears the system would be used to spy on its military or reduce its nuclear deterrent.

Makarov told ITAR-Tass agency that he and Mullen agreed to discuss military matters "periodically" by phone "and if necessary, in face-to-face talks."