The U.S. and Russia are more unified than ever since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on Washington and New York, say the leaders of the two nations.

President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin said Sunday that the disaster has brought the countries closer and raised hopes that they can agree on a missile defense system in the U.S. and on cutbacks in nuclear arsenals. Bush pushed negotiations forward when he privately encouraged Putin to compromise quickly or risk losing the chance to reduce stockpiles of nuclear weapons. White House officials said later that Bush is prepared to go forward with missile shield plans without Russia unless a deal can be struck by January. Indeed, his advisers recommended that Bush impose the deadline during one-on-one talks with Putin, but the president decided at the last minute not to personally deliver the message. Though eager to build a missile shield, Bush does not want to push Putin too hard because the Russian is critical to the success of U.S. military assaults on terrorist-harboring Afghanistan. The meeting, a spicy mix of politics and promise, took place at the close of an Asia-Pacific economic summit that focused on the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan. The 20 leaders approved a statement condemning the "murderous deeds" of the Sept. 11 suicide hijackers. In a setback for Bush, they failed to mention Afghanistan or Usama bin Laden — suspected mastermind of the attacks on Washington and New York.