By Mark Silva

KENNEBUNKPORT, Me. – Russian President Vladimir Putin, predicting that “relations between the United States and Russia could be raised to an entirely new level,” said Monday that he had proposed in meetings with President Bush the vision of a broad-based missile defense network involving Russia, the U.S. and European nations.

Critical differences between the U.S. and Russia clearly remain to be resolved – in particular U.S. plans to deploy missiles in Poland and radar in the Czech Republic – but the two leaders, meeting, dining and fishing together on the rocky coast of Maine during an overnight summit, made it clear they want to heal any widening rift between the two nations – as well as building a broader, Europe-wide defense network.

“President Putin proposed a regional approach to missile defense… and I am in strong agreement with that concept,’’ said Bush, standing close by Putin’s side, the two wearing shirtsleeves and standing in the low rough grass by the seawall of the president’s father’s summer home at Walker’s Point. “He just laid out a vision,’’ Bush said. “I think it’s very sincere, I think it’s innovative. I think it’s strategic.’’

“The relations between our two nations could be raised to an entirely new level,’’ said Putin, speaking through an interpreter of “a strategic relationship’’ between the two.

“The relationship between Russia and the United States is entirely different (than) that of the United States and the Soviet Union,’’ said Putin, evoking a Cold War standoff that defined that relationship for decades, a period in which he ran Russian intelligence. “We do not look at each other through the sights of our weapons systems.’’

Bush and Putin, on the seawall of the former president's home in Maine: Finding common ground in missile defenses. Photos by Mark Silva

The two leaders, also long split over the question of United Nations-ordered sanctions against Iran for its development of nuclear technology, also voiced an interest in finding a common ground there, with Putin suggesting that Iranian leaders had voiced a new interest in cooperation with the U.N.’s International Atomic Energy Agency.

But, by far, the most important product of this private meeting of Bush and Putin was a concerted attempt to put the past several months of escalating rhetoric between them. The Russian president had accused the U.S. of making the world less safe with its “unilateral’’ actions and designs on a European-based missile network.

Bush and Putin leave their seaside press conference.

Bush, who had said soon after his election as president that he had looked at the Russian leader and seen his “soul,’’ said here that he still trusts him implicitly.

“Here’s the thing when you deal with a world leader,’’ Bush said. “You wonder whether he’s telling the truth or not... I’ve never worried about that with Vladimir Putin. Sometimes he tells me things I don’t want to hear, but I know he’s telling the truth.

“Do I trust him? Yeah, I trust him,’’ Bush said, leaning in toward his Russian counterpart as he spoke. “Do I like everything he says? No, and I suspect he doesn’t like everything I say, but we’re able to say it in a way that shows mutual respect.’’

“I do not always agree,’’ Putin agreed. “But we never engage in paternalism…. We always talk as friends.’’ Then, taking a pragmatic approach to the disagreements that remain between them: “The deck’s been dealt, and we’re here to play.’’

The stage for this summit: The summer mansion of the president’s father and former president, who credited Putin with catching the only fish – a 31-inch bass which was caught and released – in their outing on the former president’s boat, Fidelity III.

“He’s a good caster,’’ the former president, standing on the lawn of his home, said of Putin, “He can throw a bait casting reel, which is very hard to do.’’

Putin had thrown his own bait in the dispute between the U.S. and Russia over missile defenses. With the U.S. proposing to deploy missiles in Poland and radar in the Czech Republic to guard against “rogue’’ threats – such as a potential threat from Iran – Putin had at their last meeting offered a Soviet-built radar facility in Azerbaijan.

And here at Walker’s Point, where Putin arrived Sunday afternoon and left Monday afternoon, the Russian president suggested that if the facility which the Russians still “rent’’ in Azerbaijan can not be upgraded sufficiently to meet the needs of a radar missile shield, Russia would be willing to build a new one “in the south of Russia.’’

“We spent a lot of time talking about the Iranian issue,’’ Bush said. “I am concerned about the Iranians’ attempts and know-how to develop a nuclear weapon.’’

“I have come to the conclusion that when Russia and America speak with the same voice, it tends to have a strong effect,’’ Bush said. “We discussed a variety of ways to continue sending a joint message.’’

Putin said: “There are some signals coming from Iran with regard to some cooperation with the IAEA.’’

On the idea of a European missile defense network, Putin said he does “support the idea of continued consultations’’ with the U.S., but also says “the number of parties to those consultations should be expanded.’’ That means involving more European nations in a dialog that includes NATO, the U.S. and Russia, Putin said.

“We propose establishing an information exchange,’’ Putin said, suggesting a Brussels-based center. “There would be a single system that could work on line…. For all practical purposes, this would lead to a great deal of partnership in the area of security.’’

And nations that didn’t choose to participate could face some economic or political consequences, the Russian leader went so far as to suggest.

Stephen Hadley, the president’s national security adviser, said that Putin still hopes “his proposals are in lieu of what’s been proposed with Poland and the Czech Republic.’’

But .”what you saw was a very interesting shift and some real progress on this issue,’’ Hadley told reporters after the meetings. “Is he really interested in cooperation with the United States and other nations in the area of missile defense, and I think he answered that question very much in the affirmative.’’

“Is there a lot of work to do – is there complete harmonization between the two sides? Of course not,’’ Hadley said. “We’re at the beginning of a process… Is there a real opportunity for military cooperation between Russia and the U.S.? The answer is yes.’’

This isn’t the only divide which these two leaders, each nearing the ends of their terms, attempted to bridge. Bush has been vocally critical of the state of democracy in Russia, and Putin vociferous in objections to U.S. interference in internal matters. Yet here, they spoke in the most diplomatic terms that they have found for this issue.

“The only thing that we would never accept is these tools… to interfere in our internal affairs to do things we don’t see fit’’ to do, Putin said.

“There’s an amazing transformation taking place,’’ Bush said of Russia, suggesting that “old Russia hands’’ wouldn’t recognize the place. “Is it perfect in the eyes of Americans? Not necessarily. Is the change real? Absolutely.’’

mdsilva@tribune.com