COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, WORLD NEWS: Russian foreign minister Igor Ivanov has concluded a series of talks on nuclear arms control with government officials in the United States. Among the topics discussed - Moscow's and Washington's disagreement over amendments to the 1972 Anti- Ballistic Missile Treaty. No deals were reached. CNN's David Ensor gives us some insight now into the debate over nuclear proliferation.</s>DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The U.S. badly wants Russia to agree to amendments to the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, amendments allowing the U.S. to field a limited national missile defense system. But after talks with Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Foreign Minister Ivanov said the answer is no.</s>IGOR IVANOV, RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: We believe, and it has been stressed at the highest level, the ABM Treaty of 1972 should remain a cornerstone of the strategic stability.</s>ENSOR: But U.S. officials say the Russians are willing at least to discuss treaty changes to allow a national missile defense system. In exchange, the U.S. is talking about the kind of really deep cuts in nuclear arsenals that the Russians want in a new START III treaty. But whether the Russians budge or not on the ABM Treaty, there is another obstacle that may be equally difficult -- Senator Jesse Helms.</s>JESSE HELMS, U.S. SENATE MEMBER: Let's be clear, to avoid any misunderstandings down the line, any modified ABM Treaty negotiated by this administration will be DOA, dead on arrival, at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which I happen to be the chairman of.</s>MADELEINE ALBRIGHT, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: I don't think we can take a pause for the rest of the year in defending U.S. national interests.</s>ENSOR: David Ensor, CNN, Washington.
Nuclear Disarmament Is Latest Point Of Friction Between Russia  and U.S.