President George Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin met on Friday to work out differences and forge a closer relationship in the War on Terror. Speaking to reporters at a White House news conference, the duo talked about closer cooperation in fighting terror networks and keeping a lid on nuclear proliferation (particularly with regard to Iran and North Korea) amidst concerns about the weapons falling into the wrong hands. “People who kill in cold blood, if they have weapons of mass destruction, will kill in cold blood on a massive scale,” Bush said. He also thanked Russia for its aid in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
The U.S. supports “a stronger and more capable” European defense, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said during an Oct. 22 press conference in Brussels—but that defense should not duplicate the functions and capabilities of the NATO alliance.