November 7, 2009 Russia's Medvedev: Sanctions against Iran possible

MOSCOW (AP) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has signaled that Moscow could back sanctions against Iran if it fails to take a constructive stance in international talks over its nuclear program.

Medvedev says in an interview with Germany's Der Spiegel magazine that Iran must abide by the international rules and not try to hide its nuclear facilities. His comments were released by the Kremlin Saturday.

Medvedev says it would be better to avoid sanctions, but they can't be excluded if there is no progress in the talks. The comments follow up on Medvedev's statement in September that sanctions are sometimes inevitable.

Medvedev's remarks contrast with the words of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who has warned that the threat of sanctions could thwart talks with Iran.

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