Unfortunately Russia is likely to respond to this growing military weakness by putting its nuclear forces on hair-trigger alert. This increases the danger of an accidental launch.Such accidents have come close to happening. In 1995, Nasa, the US space agency, launched a scientific research satellite off Norway Russian radar mistook it for an incoming nuclear missile. President Boris Yeltsin started a nuclear countdown for Russia to launch its own missiles.

Recognising the danger of an accidental Russian nuclear attack based on misinformation from its early warning systems Moscow and Washington agreed in 1998 to share information on missile launches.A base outside Moscow was to be manned by US and Russian officers But Russia wants the US contractors to pay taxes. They refuse because the US is providing the $7m needed to build the base Nothing has happened.. Berie Ahern, Ireland's Prime Minister, warned fellow European heads yesterday that the EU is becoming dangerously out of touch with the public as its leaders grappled with the crisis caused by the Irish rejection of the Nice Treaty. Berie Ahern, Ireland's Prime Minister, warned fellow European heads yesterday that the EU is becoming dangerously out of touch with the public as its leaders grappled with the crisis caused by the Irish rejection of the Nice Treaty.In a surprise change of tack, Mr Ahern delivered a blunt message that the EU must address its growing remoteness from its 375 million people if setbacks such as the Irish referendum are to be reversed.He told the summit of EU leaders in Gothenburg: "There is unfortunately a widespread sense of disconnection between the institutions of the union and its citizens. There is frustration at what is sometimes seen as an absence of clarity, openness and responsiveness in how the union goes about its business."Mr Ahern added: "There is a real and urgent need to focus on how we can make the union more meaningful to our citizens and on how its democratic accountability can be strengthened." He insisted the "no" vote was not a rejection of the plans for enlargement of the EU, to include up to 12 new members, which were spelled out in the treaty agreed by EU leaders in Nice last December.At yesterday's summit, EU leaders pledged not to allow the setback in Ireland to derail their plans for expansion of the 15-member bloc into central and eastern Europe. However, France and Germany made it clear that they will not bow to pressure from Sweden and Britain for a firm date for the start of enlargement.Anna Lindh, the Swedish foreign minister, said: "We have a clear commitment to the enlargement process and to the road map for enlargement, which some initially had said was unrealistic." Wim Kok, the Dutch Prime Minister, said: "We should declare our will to close the negotiations with the most advanced candidates in 2002 and thereby encourage them to hasten reforms."Sweden and the Netherlands have sent a positive signal to the applicants by pledging not to apply "transition periods" allowing existing EU countries to bar workers from new eastern European states for several years after their countries join.Tony Blair backed moves to go beyond the existing timetable for expansion agreed in Nice in order to reassure potential new members.

He said: "There is huge acceptance around Europe of the need to enlarge. Even many of the people who voted 'no' in the Irish referendum said they were in favour of the enlargement."Mr Ahern said that Belgium, which takes over the EU presidency next month and plans a declaration on the future of Europe at its December summit, may be able to smooth the path for a reversal of the referendum result. "There is an urgent need to focus on how we can make the union more meaningful to our citizens", he said.The Irish premier pointed to worries over his country's neutrality and to wider concerns over the democratic accountability of the EU, as two areas which need to be addressed.One possibility is that the Irish will wait until most other EU member states have ratified the Nice Treaty before putting it to a second referendum. That would allow them to campaign on the basis that only the Irish are holding up the entire expansion process.But a diplomat quoted Wolfgang Sch?l, the Austrian Chancellor, as saying: "The EU should not proceed too fast.

Nice has not yet been ratified and we are already talking about new goals." His comment, echoed by Jose Maria Aznar, the Spanish Prime Minister, seemed to be aimed at Germany, which has led the debate about enlargement.. Tony Blair moved swiftly to form a three-way alliance with two of Europe's conservative premiers yesterday, taking centre-left EU governments by surprise. Tony Blair moved swiftly to form a three-way alliance with two of Europe's conservative premiers yesterday, taking centre-left EU governments by surprise.A breakfast meeting with the newly-elected Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, sealed a new partnership which complements Mr Blair's well-established rapport with the Spanish Prime Minister, Jose Maria Aznar.Mr Berlusconi's election, and his partnership with the right-wing Alleanza Nationale, has upset other EU socialist leaders who count the British Labour Party as part of their political club. But an unabashed Mr Blair, fresh from his own election landslide victory, was happy to embrace the controversial millionaire media magnate at the EU summit in Gothenburg yesterday.Mr Blair's spokesman said: "He looks forward to co-operating with Prime Minister Berlusconi and developing a fruitful relationship." He later added: "The Prime Minister is obviously pleased to have early contact with him and was very keen to hear of his plans for Italy." The spokesman also said that Mr Blair and Mr Berlusconi, who had met before the Italian elections, had found common ground on issues such as economic reform and had also discussed the meeting of G8 leaders in Genoa next month. Yesterday, Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, also met his Italian counterpart, Renato Ruggiero.But Alejandro Agag, an MEP and general secretary of the centre-right grouping in the European Parliament, told Spanish journalists that the "BAB" axis ­ Berlusconi-Aznar-Blair ­ would be influential in shaping Europe's future.Mr Agag, who is a close ally of Mr Aznar and has good links to Mr Berlusconi, said the three men shared a commitment to liberal economics.He also pointed out that each prime minister has had a recent election victory which would place them in positions of seniority in three years time, when crucial decisions are made over the future of Europe.Since his first election victory in 1997, Mr Blair has tried hard to forge relationships with several European countries to try to balance the influential Franco-German axis. That has included Mr Aznar, Guy Verhofstadt, the liberal Belgian Prime Minister, and socialists including Sweden's G? Persson, The Netherland's Wim Kok and Portugal's Antonio Guterres.A British official said that making such tactical alliances was part of Mr Blair's strategy of "positive engagement" with the EU in order to boost Britain's influence in Europe.However, signs of a new alliance will raise eyebrows because of accusations of business malpractice against Mr Berlusconi, and because of he has brought a far-right party into his coalition government.Last year, 14 EU leaders, including Mr Blair, severed political ties with Austria when J?Haider's far-right Freedom Party was included in the government.. Nato is poised to help the Macedonian government disarm ethnic Albanian rebels and bolster the country's fragile government if political leaders can forge an agreement within 10 days.