TODAY: Russia’s relations with the West are on the decline, announces Foreign Ministry; US-Russia missile talks take positive tone, but fail to reach a solution. Rice meets with Yavlinsky over breakfast. Nevzlin case begins. Gorbachev reveals his Christian faith. Although both sides adopted a “strikingly moderate tone after a long period of rancor”, high-level talks between Russia and the United States on missile-defense and arms treaties have ended without agreement, as predicted. In a sign of some progress, the two countries have agreed to negotiate a “strategic framework” document that would formally put in writing the basic elements of their relationship. Russia’s Foreign Ministry says that the United States has so far failed to provide written missile shield proposals, despite a pledge to submit them by Tuesday evening. During her visit, Condoleezza Rice, who has “accused the Kremlin of harassing the political opposition”, met some leading liberals including Grigory Yavlinsky, but did not meet with the Kremlin’s most strident critics, Garry Kasparov and Mikhail Kasyanov, who were “noticeably absent”. Subjects discussed included freedom of speech and free elections. Parties that failed to win at least 3% of the vote in the December elections are now trying to pay off debts to the federal budget, largely for television ads.