"It is too early to speak about sanctions against Iran," Putin said. "We have not reached that stage yet."
Putin said Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had promised him in mid-June that he would respond to the proposals of Iran-6 mediators - the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany - within a month.
"A month has passed. The talks have not started," Putin said, though he added "now we hear another date, which is August."
Nevertheless, the Russian leader sought to play down the threat of sanctions, which the United States and some other states have been pushing.
"I would rather not speak about this [the sanctions] because raising this issue may create unfavorable conditions for the talks," he said.
Iran's nuclear program has been a source of major controversy since the beginning of the year, as many countries suspect the Islamic Republic of pursuing a covert weapons program under the pretext of civilian research, despite its claims to the contrary.
