Blair braced for his final G8 meetings

TONY BLAIR was today having his final face-to-face meetings as Prime Minister with US President George W Bush and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at a tense three day G8 Summit in Germany.

He is hoping to be able to hammer out a deal on climate change as part of his legacy.

Meanwhile protesters blocked a road leading to the summit convention centre as part of ongoing anti-globalisation demonstrations.

Mr Blair has promised "frank discussions" with Mr Putin over Russia's threat to aim nuclear weapons at western Europe if US plans for a missile defence shield are implemented.

He will also raise the extradition request of the former KGB spy alleged to have killed Alexander Litvinenko in London.

But Mr Blair seems to have his work cut out in persuading Mr Bush to agree a UN-sponsored deal on cutting American greenhouse gas emissions to combat climate change.

The American president has indicated he does not believe the G8 should be the forum for setting climate change targets although he said he had a "strong desire" to work with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the summit in Heiligendamm.