Another slap in the face for Obama from Russia, without much love: Russia rejects link between missile defence and Iran.

Madrid/Washington - Russian President Dmitri Medvedev on Tuesday showed willingness to discuss the US-planned missile defence system opposed by Moscow, but without “haggling” linking it to Iran. Medvedev was commenting during a visit to Spain on an alleged offer by US President Barack Obama to halt the defence system if Iran could be convinced to give up nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

The New York Times earlier reported that Obama had sent a secret letter to Medvedev.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero in Madrid, Medvedev welcomed the “positive signals” coming from the Obama administration with which he hoped to reach “agreements.”

“Haggling,” however, was not “productive,” Medvedev said.

If the Obama administration showed “common sense” in proposing a “common shield against all types of threats” and reconsidered its plans of a missile defence system which could target Russia, Moscow would be prepared to negotiate, Medvedev said.

(Hat tip: JammieWearingFool.)