MOSCOW, May 16 (UPI) -- Missile defense and intelligence sharing are issues the Russian government is considering with the United States, a Russian government aide said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a letter to U.S. President Barack Obama in response to a message delivered last month by U.S. national security adviser Tom Donilon.
Donilon last month took a list of proposals from the White House on issues ranging from nuclear disarmament to missile defense options in Eastern Europe, RIA Novosti reports.
Yuri Ushakov, a Putin aide, said Putin was eager to discuss the missile defense issue as well as intelligence sharing.
On intelligence sharing, Ushakov said FBI officials recently traveled to Moscow to look into the possibility of negotiations regarding contacts with the CIA, the Russian state news agency reports.
The Russian government alerted the FBI about Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev before the attack, though U.S. law enforcement officials said he wasn't considered a threat.
A U.S. diplomat was arrested this week after allegedly trying to recruit a Russian contact.
On missile defense, the Russian government said any plans for Eastern Europe must come with security guarantees. The United States said it wants to bolster its options to counter Iran and North Korea.
