Administration officials say the Soviet leader's plan for a small cut in his country's short-range nuclear missile force was mostly propaganda.

"This may not be the only missile force they have."

The weight and effect of our ready missile force has not yet been applied in full.

The result, of course, is that Russian defense officials are loath to endorse any new cuts in their missile forces.

What to do about the nation's land-based missile forces?

They know we cannot afford to maintain our huge missile force.

But it clearly wants a more credible missile force.

A big problem, the officials said, was the exchange of information about each side's missile force.

American officials said the Russians still had not provided all the necessary data about their medium- and shorter-range missile force.

Both sides also agreed not to deploy these theater defenses against each other's missile forces.