Reuters: Russia alarmed by EU ban on Iranian oil, sanctions

From Reuters:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/23/us-iran-russia-eu-idUSTRE80M1EX20120123

[div class="excerpt" style="border-left: 1px solid #bfbfbf; border-top: 1px solid #bfbfbf; border-right: 1px solid #bfbfbf; border-radius: 0.3077em 0.3077em 0em 0em; box-shadow: 2px 2px 6px #bfbfbf;"]Russia alarmed by EU ban on Iranian oil, sanctions[div class="excerpt" style="border-left: 1px solid #bfbfbf; border-bottom: 1px solid #bfbfbf; border-right: 1px solid #bfbfbf; border-radius: 0em 0em 0.3077em 0.3077em; background-color: #f4f4f4; box-shadow: 2px 2px 6px #bfbfbf;"](Reuters) - Russia expressed "regret and alarm" on Monday over the European Union's ban on Iranian oil and other economic sanctions, saying Tehran will not make concessions on its nuclear program when faced with increasing Western pressure.

"It is obvious that what is happening here is open pressure and diktat, an attempt to 'punish' Iran for its intractable behavior," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement after EU nations agreed the measures.

"This is a deeply mistaken line, as we have told our European partners more than once. Under such pressure Iran will not agree to any concessions or any changes in its policy," it said.

PB