Russia has offered alternative plans, including one to build a joint Russian-American missile defense radar site in Azerbaijan. American officials have been cool to this idea.
俄罗斯提供了可供选择的其他计划，包括俄罗斯和美国在阿塞拜疆共同建立一个导弹防御雷达站。美国官员对这一计划很冷淡。
Whether the U.S. system would pose any threat to Russia remains in dispute.
美国的导弹防御系统是否会对俄罗斯造成任何威胁仍然处于争论之中。
Independent Russian military analyst Pavel Felgenhauer says many experts in Russia do not consider the proposal a threat to Russia's nuclear arsenal.
俄罗斯独立军事分析人士费根霍纳说，俄罗斯的许多专家都认为，美国的导弹防御计划不会对俄罗斯的核军备造成威胁。
He says there is no threat from 10 interceptors in Poland. He adds that if such missiles were intended to intercept against Russia, it would be better to station them in Ireland or North Dakota, where they could intercept Russian missiles more effectively.
他说：“在波兰建立10个导弹拦截装置不会对俄罗斯造成威胁。他还说，如果这些导弹拦截装置是为了防御俄罗斯的话，那么把它们建在爱尔兰或北达科他州会更好，因为这些地方能更加有效地拦截俄罗斯的导弹。”
The possibility remains of a joint system designed to protect Russia as well as Europe and the United States from a missile attack. As discussions continue, both sides realize they will have new presidents in office within one year. This prompts Felgenhauer to predict that nothing significant will come out of this week's two-plus-two talks.
还有可能建立一个用于保护俄罗斯、欧洲和美国免受导弹袭击的共同防御系统。随着美国和俄罗斯会谈的进行，双方意识到两国都将在一年内有新总统上任。因此，费根霍纳预测说，本星期的“二加二”的会谈将不会取得任何重要进展。
U.S.-Russian relations during President Putin's two terms in office were marked by a tension over issues ranging from Kosovo's independence to Iran's nuclear program.
在普京总统的两届任期内，美俄关系因科索沃的独立和伊朗的核项目等一些问题而变得紧张。
State Department spokesman Scott McCormack said Secretaries Rice and Gates could extend the trip, should there be signs of potential progress. Other topics on their agenda include nonproliferation and counterterrorism.
美国国务院发言人麦科马克说，如果会谈有取得进展的迹象的话，美国国务卿赖斯和美国国防部长盖茨可能延长访问俄罗斯的时间。他们的会谈议题还包括防止核武器扩散和打击恐怖主义。
The meetings take place before President Bush's scheduled visit to Ukraine for discussion of possible NATO membership for the former Soviet republic. This topic has also been another source of U.S.-Russian tensions and is expected to be on the Rice-Gates agenda this week.
美俄会谈将在美国总统布什计划访问乌克兰之前举行。布什将访问乌克兰，讨论这个前苏联共和国可能加入北约的问题。该议题是造成美俄关系紧张的另一个原因。预计，赖斯和盖茨本星期的会谈议程也将讨论这个问题。
