WASHINGTON - President George W. Bush said Thursday he was certain Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin understood Iran could not be trusted with nuclear weapons, despite Moscow's aid to the Iranian nuclear program.
The United States has furiously pressured Russia over its assistance to Iran's civilian nuclear program, which Western countries fear could be adapted to produce nuclear weapons.
Russia is building Iran's first nuclear reactor at Bushehr despite protests from Israel and the United States.
"What Russia has agreed to do is to send highly enriched uranium to a power plant then collect that uranium," Bush said in a televised prime time news conference.
"I appreciate that gesture, what they recognised and what America recognises and what Great Britain and France and Germany recognises is that we cannot trust the Iranians when it comes to enriching uranium."
"What Russia has said is 'we will provide you the uranium, we will enrich it for you and provide it to you and then we will collect it.'"
"I think Vladimir is trying to help there there, and I know Vladimir Putin understands the danger of Iran with a nuclear weapons and most of the world understands that as well."
Iran has repeatedly said it is not seeking weapons of mass destruction and that its nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes.
Britain, France and Germany have been negotiating for the EU with Iran since December to secure objective guarantees that the regime will not use its atomic energy programme to acquire nuclear weapons.
The European Union would like Iran permanently to give up uranium enrichment, a practice currently under a moratorium, which makes what can be fuel for civilian nuclear reactors but also the explosive core of atomic bombs.
In exchange, the three European governments are offering Iran a package of trade, security and technology incentives.
04/29/2005 01:01 GMT