Putin optimistic on U.S. summit

MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that he was "very optimistic" that a compromise could be found with the United States on missile defense and that he looked forward to hearing President Bush's specific proposals at their summit next week.

Putin said that Russia was ready to discuss a compromise on U.S. missile defense plans but must know specifically what in the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty stands in the way of Washington's proposed missile shield.

"We are also ready for a compromise. We should see what specific compromise proposals our American partners have," Putin said at the beginning of the interview. Putin said that it would be up to experts to set specific parameters for both offensive and defensive weapons.