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Russia won't support Iran sanction threat

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The Associated Press

Published: October 14, 2009

MOSCOW - Russia publicly pushed back Tuesday against U.S. efforts to threaten tough new sanctions if Iran fails to prove its nuclear program is peaceful, dealing an apparent setback to President Barack Obama's hopes for Moscow's backing of fresh penalties against Tehran.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow considers such threats counterproductive and that only negotiations should be pursued now. Last month, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that sanctions rarely are productive but that "in some cases they are inevitable," a statement the United States hailed as a shift of opinion in Moscow.

Lavrov, at a joint news conference Tuesday with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, said diplomacy "still has chances to succeed."

"At the current stage, all forces should be thrown at supporting the negotiating process," Lavrov said. "Threats, sanctions and threats of pressure in the current situation, we are convinced, would be counterproductive."

Clinton, on her first visit to Moscow as secretary of state, had been hoping for an overt signal from Russia that it will consider new sanctions if Iran refuses to come clean about its nuclear intentions.

Instead, Lavrov's comment exposed a tactical rift between the United States and Russia in which Washington is pushing diplomatic engagement backed by the threat of U.N. sanctions and Moscow wants to discuss only negotiations.

The United States thinks it is critical to get tangible signs of support from Moscow for at least considering new sanctions because the more united they are, the more likely it is that pressure on Iran will work.

At the news conference, Clinton said she had not sought Moscow's support for actually imposing sanctions and did not think it was time to do so. She also said it is critical to let Iran know what will happen should it continue to rebuff the nuclear demands.

"We have always looked at the potential of sanctions in the event we are not successful and cannot assure ourselves and others that Iran has decided not to pursue nuclear weapons," Clinton said.

Beyond Iran, Lavrov said U.S. and Russia negotiators have made considerable progress on reaching an agreement on a new strategic arms treaty. The 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty expires in December, and negotiators have been racing to reach agreement on a successor.

The two diplomats also discussed possible cooperation on missile defense after Obama's decision not to proceed with a Bush administration plan. Russia has welcomed Obama's new approach but has said it is eager for more detailed information.

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