Obama makes nuclear weapons pledge

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He said the US was "ready to lead", had a "moral responsibility to act" and stood for the right of everybody to live free of fear in the 21st century.

But he warned that the US was "under no illusions" and realised that his goal may not be reached in his lifetime.

Repeating his key campaign slogan from last year's presidential election, he said: "It will take patience and persistence. But now we, too, must ignore the voices who tell us that the world cannot change. We have to insist, `Yes, we can`."

Mr Obama called for a global summit on nuclear security and announced a new international effort to secure nuclear material within four years.

Speaking in the Czech Republic before talks with European officials, he said the existence of nuclear weapons was the "most dangerous legacy" of the Cold War.

"In a strange turn of history, the threat of global nuclear war has gone down, but the risk of a nuclear attack has gone up," he said.

"The world must stand together and prevent the spread of these weapons. Now is the time for a strong international response."

He said the "most immediate and extreme threat to global security" was the possibility terrorists possessing nuclear weapons.

"One terrorist with a nuclear weapon could unleash massive destruction," he said.