New York Times - 09.02.2006

New York Times

Russia Hints It Won’t Back Any Penalties Against Iran

By Steven Lee Myers

MOSCOW — Russia on Friday cast new doubt on the prospects for the Bush administration’s efforts to punish Iran for refusing to suspend its nuclear program, even as European leaders expressed wariness at moving quickly to impose sanctions.

In Moscow, officials expressed regret that an Aug. 31 deadline had passed without an agreement by Iran to halt its efforts to enrich uranium that could be used for building nuclear weapons, as American and European officials believe Iran intends to do.

At the same time, Russian officials made it clear that they do not support retaliatory sanctions or other steps to isolate Iran’s leadership. That was a view that seemed to be widely shared across Europe, despite public consternation over Iran’s defiance of a United Nations Security Council resolution.

Despite weeks of diplomacy and compromise among the Security Council’s permanent members — the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia — the resolute deadline set by the Security Council for Iran to halt its nuclear work seemed fairly irresolute once it passed.

Russia’s defense minister, Sergei B. Ivanov, said that the issue of sanctions was “not acute,” and added that diplomats from the five permanent members and Germany would meet to discuss further steps. France’s Foreign Ministry said the meeting was scheduled for next Thursday in Berlin.

Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, said that Russia favored continued negotiations and not punitive measures, calling into question their effectiveness.

Even though Russia previously joined the other permanent members of the Security Council in setting the deadline for Iran to comply — with the implicit threat of sanctions — Mr. Lavrov left in doubt whether Russia would ever agree to any penalties. His view echoed one heard increasingly here: that sanctions could be a first step toward a new American-led military conflict in the Middle East.

“We cannot support ultimatums that lead everyone to a dead end and cause escalation, the logic of which always leads to the use of force,” Mr. Lavrov said, speaking broadly in an address to students at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations.

At a meeting of European Union foreign ministers in Finland, the Union’s chief foreign affairs official, Javier Solana, was quoted as saying that there would now be “a period of talks” over the conflict with Iran, making any discussion of sanctions unreasonable for now.

Other European leaders also expressed eagerness to avoid the immediate imposition of punitive measures, which they fear would worsen the confrontation with Iran.

At a joint news conference in Rome with Prime Minister Romano Prodi of Italy, the French prime minister, Dominique de Villepin, called Iran’s response to the international demands “totally unsatisfying,” but said it remained possible “to go forward with dialogue.”

Mr. Prodi agreed. “If there is a even a small opening to get to the negotiating table,” he said, “it should be taken.”

United States officials have said no action will be sought against Tehran until after Mr. Solana meets with Ali Larijani, Iran’s nuclear negotiator, next week. 

“We’ll find out in the next several weeks whether we’re able to proceed to sanctions,” the American ambassador to the United Nations, John R. Bolton, told CNN on Friday. “We’re consulting with European countries. What we’re going to aim at is the leadership of Iran and the programs involving their nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities.”

In Iran, meantime, officials remained defiant, arguing that the country is pursuing a peaceful, civilian nuclear program that it has a right to engage in.

Peter Kiefer contributed reporting from Rome for this article.