Moscow: US President George W Bush's new Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) may scuttle the ongoing Indo-Russian cooperation under which Moscow is building the Kudankulam nuclear power plant and puts a question mark on such future projects, an influential Russian daily has said.

"Moscow has just to stop and think. For instance, Russia supplies nuclear fuel to India. But India not only enriches nuclear fuel itself but also possesses nuclear weapons, though it has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty," the 'Nezavismaya Gazeta' daily said. "So if the US President's ideas are implemented, Russia will have to cease peaceful atomic cooperation with India, letting alone Iran," it said.

Under the deal with the ex-Soviet Union in 1988, Russia is building Kudankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu which would have two 1000 MW light water reactors. Moscow is also to supply nuclear fuel for it in the coming two decades.

Talking on conditions of anonymity, official sources did not "hypothetically" rule out interception of supplies for the power plant on the high seas by the US or allied warships if Bush's new initiative comes into force.

Diplomatic sources also share this apprehension. However, they hoped that within the ongoing strategic dialogue, India could resolve the issue amicably with the US.

Though, Moscow is yet to formally articulate official stance on Bush's initiative earlier, it had made clear that Russia would be guided by national interests while subscribing to anti-proliferation steps mooted by US.

In November last, within the framework of preparations for Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's summit with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra had explored the possibility of acquiring four more Russian reactors for power generation in India.

However, bound by its commitments under the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), Moscow has expressed its inability to enter into new projects with India.

During his India visit in December 2002 President Putin had reiterated that Moscow would stick to its international non-proliferation commitments. He had however, indicated that to develop nuclear cooperation with India, Moscow would seek changes in the rules of NSG in the changed scenario.

With the unveiling of Bush's new initiative, Moscow would hardly be in a position to seek slackening of rules for India's sake.