Moscow, July 14: Russia – which has power to veto any UN Security Council resolution – again made plain Tuesday it would not back any Security Council sanctions against Iran because of Tehran’s nuclear programme.
In Russia’s view, all diplomatic channels have yet to be exhausted, a foreign ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.
Russia also rejected any linking of the Iran conflict with the nuclear disarmament agreements it has with the United States.
There could, the spokesman said, be no sanctions against Tehran simply in order to get an improved disarmament agreement with Washington.
Russia and the United States, he added, had a “special responsibility” as they possessed the world’s biggest nuclear arsenals.
—Agencies