The dispute between Russia and US over the European missile defence system could subvert the global warming agenda of the G8 meeting in Germany, with presidents Putin and Bush set for crunch talks in the first day of the summit.

Putin has been highly critical in recent weeks of US intentions to include countries from the former Warsaw Pact into the system, while Bush hit back with criticism about undemocratic practices, taking relations between the two countries to their lowest in the post-Cold War era.

The two presidents will meet on Thursday for the first time in six months as the summit of the informal group of the world's richest nations, known as G8, starts in earnest.

Climate change is one of the main topics on the official agenda and is a key policy area for the event's host, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who will try to push the other members of the wealthy club to adopt concrete targets to stem global warming.

Merkel's plan calls for the G8 countries to cut their greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2050 and limit the rise in global temperature to two degrees Celsius, but she is set to encounter US opposition, as Bush seeks to avoid any targets set in stone.

Kosovo's independence, Iran's nuclear programme and aid to Africa are the other major issues that the eight leaders will discuss in the Baltic Sea resort of Heiligendamm over the course of three days.

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