Russian President Vladimir Putin refused on Saturday in St. Petersburg to agree with the United States to pose sanctions against Iran over the Iranian nuclear issue.

Putin sent the message after he held talks with visiting U.S. President George W. Bush.

Speaking at the press conference after the talks, Bush said the two leaders "sent a clear message to Iran" that Iran should not possess nuclear weapons.

Bush also said he supports Russia's initiative of setting up an international nuclear enrichment center in resolving the nuclear issue.

However, Bush shunned the issue of sanctions against Iran, saying that "this is the first time" he talked with Putin over the issue.

Putin, on his part, said a "balanced" approach should be explored in resolving this issue.