Unilateral sanctions against Iran might only aggravate the current situation and inflict damage upon the dialogue with Tehran, the Russian president said.
The United States and European Union decided to impose new sanctions against Iran this week, in addition to those approved by the UN last week.
"We didn't agree to this when we discussed the joint resolution at the UN. We should act collectively. If we do, we will have the desired result," Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.
The UN sanctions, adopted on June 9, include tougher financial controls and an expanded arms embargo, as well as an asset ban on three dozen companies and a travel freeze on individuals.
The new sanctions, which are set to be introduced by the EU and United States, will go further than the UN sanctions, which were softened to secure support of veto-wielding members Russia and China.
The Russian president added that it is necessary to build a constructive dialogue with Tehran but not create problems for civilians in the country.
Russia's Foreign Ministry warned after the Security Council resolution was adopted that any additional sanctions affecting Russian companies or individuals would bring a response from Moscow.
MOSCOW, June 18 (RIA Novosti)
