Rice: Russian Attitudes Locked in Past

Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer, right, welcomes U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for talks at the federal chancellery in Vienna on Thursday, May 31, 2007. Rice is in Vienna for a conference of women leaders. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak) (Ronald Zak - AP)

Putin and other Russian officials have repeatedly rejected U.S. assurances that the planned missile defense installations in Poland and the Czech Republic are meant to counter a potential threat from nations such as Iran and pose no danger to Russia.

Putin described Tuesday's tests of a new ballistic missile capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads and a new cruise missile as part of the Russian response to the planned deployment of new U.S. military bases and missile defense sites in ex-Soviet satellites in Central and Eastern Europe.

Earlier Thursday, Rice held the hard U.S. line against concessions to Iran over its nuclear program and renewed a conditional offer to talk to the clerical regime on any subject.

Asked if it is time to change tactics in the world's nuclear standoff with Iran, Rice ruled out the idea of dropping a key precondition.

"I think it's time for Iran to change its tactics," Rice said.

Iran also refused to budge as talks began Thursday between Iran's chief international negotiator and the European Union's senior foreign policy official.

There is increasing sentiment in Europe that world powers trying to engage Iran should drop the demand that Iran halt, or suspend in diplomatic parlance, disputed nuclear activities before bargaining on a package of incentives could begin.

"The international community is united on what Iran should do, which is to suspend; to demonstrate that it is in fact not seeking a nuclear weapon under cover of civilian nuclear power," Rice said.

She spoke during a press conference with Austria's foreign minister, a year to the day after she made a dramatic outreach to longtime adversary Iran. The offer to talk "anytime, any place," was intended to inject new life into an ebbing European diplomatic effort to turn back Iran's advancing nuclear program.

"I think the question isn't why won't we talk to Tehran," she said. "The question is why doesn't Tehran want to talk to us."