Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said that new sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program were certain unless Tehran comes into compliance with UN demands. Nobody wants sanctions," Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told reporters on Saturday during a visit to Germany, where he met with Chancellor Angela Merkel. "But in some cases, it is necessary to agree on them. The situation is such that in practical terms, agreements on these sanctions exist.”
Medvedev said Moscow's position on the Iran nuclear issue had moved closer to that of its Western partners. "I think that this is very important for the future of the international community and... for the future of our relations with European and other countries – with the United States and China," he said.
"We hope that Iran's leadership will listen to the voice of the international community. It is necessary to talk with partners within the international community, and that is the only way to solve the most difficult issues."
These nations say Iran has been pursuing nuclear weapons development, but Iran says it is only interested in nuclear power for peaceful purposes, Medvedev said, stressing that decisions like sanctions should be made through international consensus and not "personal ambitions."
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she expected Iran to "pull some stunt in the next couple of days" ahead of the UN vote on the sanctions package. Iran had in the past taken steps to "avoid being held accountable," Clinton told reporters, adding: "I don't think anybody should be surprised if they try to divert attention once again from the unity within the Security Council… They've consistently tried to avoid being held accountable."
