Last update - 00:00 11/10/2007
Putin says a nuclear Iran would be a strategic threat to Russia
By Lily Galili, Haaretz Correspondent
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday described Iranian nuclear weapons as "a strategic threat."
Putin emphasized that nuclear weapons in Iranian hands was also a strategic threat to Russia, even more than to other countries. This is because the missiles Iran can launch can easily reach Russia - not other European countries or the U.S.
Putin made the unusual statement at a meeting in Moscow Wednesday with 11 European Jewish Congress leaders. The statement about the dangers of Iranian nuclear weapons came later in the day, after Putin made another statement saying he had no evidence Iran was attempting to produce a nuclear bomb. He also expressed opposition to further steps against the Iranians.
These comments were made in meetings he held with French President Nicholas Sarkozy in Moscow.
Putin will visit Tehran next week to participate in a conference of countries bordering the Caspian Sea. He is scheduled to meet with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Later this month, Condoleeza Rice is expected to visit Moscow along with U.S. Defense Minister Robert Gates to discuss security and arms control issues, and the two are expected to continue to press Putin on the Iranian issue.
Many attendees were surprised by Putin's statements. One of the members of the European Jewish Congress who was present told Haaretz he feels Putin views the issue the same way Western nations do.