HEATHER Mills, the wife of Sir Paul McCartney, believes she may have persuaded the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, to reconsider his country's policy towards landmines.

The former model turned anti-landmines campaigner used her husband's recent trip to Moscow to lobby Mr Putin on behalf of her charity.

She said she now felt "incredibly optimistic" that she had achieved a "tremendous breakthrough" during her 40-minute meeting with the Russian leader. Sir Paul and Ms Mills met Mr Putin at the Kremlin on Saturday, ahead of the former Beatle's historic concert in Red Square.

Revealing details of their encounter, Ms Mills said: "I asked President Putin to take the lead, as the world's second largest manufacturer of landmines, to stop their production and use now rather than wait for some of the world's other superpowers to acquiesce.

"I pointed out the inhumane nature of these weapons and asked him if there wasn't another way to satisfy the needs of his military.

"President Putin's compassion was obvious and his statements firm. This makes me incredibly optimistic for our future.

"This could be a tremendous breakthrough for us in ridding the world of landmines."

Mr Putin has pledged to set up meetings between Ms Mills and the Russian defence minister to discuss the issue further, she said.

Ms Mills, who lost a leg in a road accident ten years ago, is the patron of the charity Adopt-A-Minefield, which is dedicated to clearing mines and rehabilitating victims.

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