MAINZ, Germany – President Bush and Chancellor Schroeder agreed yesterday to turn down the volume on arguments about Iraq and Iran, demanding in unison that Tehran abandon its nuclear ambitions and exploring whether allies should use rewards or punishment to achieve that goal.

Nearing the end of a five-day reconciliation visit to Europe, Mr. Bush also prepared for a showdown today with President Putin in Bratislava, the snow-covered capital of Slovakia.

Mr. Bush said he was concerned about Mr. Putin’s restrictions on press freedom and other steps amounting to a retreat from democracy. Still, Mr. Bush emphasized he did not want to harm “a close relationship with Vladimir.”

Mr. Bush raced through a nine-hour stop in Germany after harmonious discussions with European allies in Brussels, Belgium. Iran was a prominent subject in his talks all along the way.

The president’s national security adviser, Stephen Hadley, said at issue was “should there be a mix of carrots and sticks and who should the carrots come from and what should they be.”

Mr. Bush expressed general support for negotiations by Germany, Britain, and France that offer Iran incentives to permanently abandon the uranium enrichment that is at the heart of its suspected nuclear weapons ambitions.

But America has resisted taking part in the European diplomacy and has insisted so far that Tehran should not be rewarded. Germany has offered to sell Iran an Airbus aircraft and other nonmilitary items to encourage Tehran to keep negotiating and drop its nuclear program.

Mr. Bush has suggested that the best strategy might be to ask the United Nations Security Council to impose sanctions. “They were caught enriching uranium after they had signed a treaty saying they wouldn’t enrich uranium,” Mr. Bush said.

Iran, meanwhile, vowed not to give up its nuclear program – which it insists is for peaceful purposes – and said Mr. Bush was backtracking from the possibility of using military force.

“Americans make irrelevant claims,” President Khatami said in Tehran. “They’ve learned their claims are unacceptable and for this reason, they are taking back their words.”