In Feb. 18, President Bush issued a statement claiming that the United States does not intend to attack Iran, CNN.com reports. “I hear all these rumors about military attacks, and it’s just not the truth, we want diplomacy to work,” said Bush, in an interview with European news correspondents from countries such as Belgium, Germany. Russia and France.

Bush was responding to polls showing that about 70 percent of Germans believe that the United States is planning to invade Iran,, CNN.com reports.

Several European nations have insisted Iran halt its Uranium Enrichment Program in exchange for political, financial and technological support. The United States, however, has refused to negotiate, and continues to insist that Iran halt its program.

“I believe diplomacy can work so long as the Iranians don’t divide Europe and the United States. There’s a lot more diplomacy to be done,” said Bush in the same interview.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, however, believes that Bush is mistaken.

“The latest steps taken by Iran have convinced us that Iran does not intend to produce nuclear arms,” said Putin when Iran security chief Hasan Rowhani visited the Kremlin on Feb. 18.

“In this context, we will continue cooperation with Iran in all areas, including the nuclear energy field,” Putin said.

Russia has already begun to build an $800 million nuclear power plant in southern Iran, and the United States has expressed concern that Iran will reprocess the fuel from the plant in order to produce nuclear weapons, The Washington Post reports.

“There are good reasons to be suspicious of what Iran is doing. We have our views, but the world appears to be concerned enough about this to be engaged in a variety of activities that would diminish the capability of the Iranians to build a nuclear weapon,” said newly appointed Secretary Of State Condoleezza Rice, The Washington Post reports.

On Feb. 20, Bush arrived in Europe to start a four day campaign in which he hopes to convince Europeans that he is “a new man with open arms,” according to the New York Times.

Bush has met with European officials to discuss situations from the one in Iran to the European Union lifting an arms embargo against China.

Bush is also opposed to Iran’s support of the Hezbollah guerillas of southern Lebanon, as this could threaten the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Iran is outspokenly against any political action that might support Israel’s presence in the Middle East. Bush is also expected to meet with Putin to discuss their position on Iran by the time this article is printed, their selling of arms to Syria, and their retreat from democracy.

“It would be unwise for the United States to alienate its allies yet again with these cowboy style politics,” said First Year Brennan Aberle, a political science major.