The White House says President Bush has not ruled anything out in dealing with Iraq, Iran and North Korea, putting Moscow on notice that Washington could act against Iraq with or without Russian support.

The White House comments follow a Monday interview of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Wall Street Journal. The Russian leader said since the September 11th terrorist attacks, Russia and other nations have stood by the United States and the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan.

But Mr. Putin said Moscow opposes blacklisting any nation. He said unilateral military action against Iraq is no solution and could erode the international anti-terrorism coalition. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov also issued a stern warning to the United States Monday. He said Washington should not expand the war on terrorism to other nations without absolute proof of their involvement in terrorist activities, or without approval from the United Nations.

The White House says President Bush knows many nations may support him on some issues, and not on others. But it says President Bush will demonstrate the strength and leadership needed to fight terrorism.

The White House says the president is focused on what needs to be done to protect the American people. But it did stress that President Bush and Mr. Putin are working together on a number of policy issues, including a proposal to impose so-called "smart sanctions" against Iraq aimed at easing the flow of food and medicine, while keeping tight restrictions on weapons imports.

Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.

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