At talks with U.S. President George Bush during the G8 summit in Heiligendamm, Germany, last Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested that the U.S. use the Gabala radar, which Russia leases from Azerbaijan, instead of deploying missile defense elements in Central Europe.
"As you know, the implication was before the G8 that Russia was adamantly opposed to any kind of defense - it turns out that it's not. We look at that as a constructive step forward," Tony Snow said at a press briefing Tuesday.
Despite repeated U.S. assurances that the mooted elements of its missile shield in the Czech Republic and Poland would be directed against rogue states such as Iran and North Korea, the Russian president reiterated at a news conference Friday that Moscow is convinced that the plans "undermine the security of Russia and its citizens."
Snow also said that the discussions on the Gabala radar issue will not be delayed for long as "...we're having consultations both at the ministerial level and the National Security Advisor level. And President Putin will be in Kennebunkport [in U.S. State of Maine] with the President in just about a week and a half, so we're going to have an opportunity once again for the two of them to sit down."
"Frankly, we don't look at this as gamesmanship; we look at this as trying to come up with a constructive exercise to come up with the best system to keep everybody safe," the U.S. official added.
Putin said earlier that if Washington accepts its offer, Russia would not be forced to deploy its own missiles in its European exclave of Kaliningrad, or move its missiles closer to Russia's western borders.
The Gabala radar, located near the town of Minchegaur, 120 kilometers (75 miles) from the capital Baku, was leased to Russia for 10 years in 2002.
The radar has been operational since early 1985. With a range of 6,000 kilometers (3,700 miles), it is the most powerful in the region and can detect any missile launches in Asia, the Middle East, and parts of Africa.
Under current agreements, the radar, Russia's only military facility in Azerbaijan, cannot be put into full combat mode without Baku's consent. Its status has been a source of environmental and other concerns in recent years.
