The U.S. attempts to link nuclear arms cuts talks to possible sanctions against Iran is unacceptable, the Interfax news agency reported Tuesday citing a source from the Russian Foreign Ministry.
"We believe that such a linkage is totally baseless. No trading is acceptable in these two issues, which are so different in substance and in format," said the unnamed source, Xinhua reported.
Russia will not toughen sanctions against Iran in exchange for reaching a new nuclear arsenals cut deal with the United States replacing the expiring Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I), said the source.
"We see no reason to link these issues, let alone to expect that Russia would agree to toughen sanctions against Iran...in the talks with the United States on further reductions of strategic offensive weapons," the source said.