RUSSIA: Russia intensified its opposition to war in Iraq over the weekend, hinting that it may veto a new US-backed resolution threatening military action against Baghdad, sending an envoy to meet President Saddam Hussein and warning Washington that unilateral use of force would strike at the very foundation of the United Nations, writes Daniel McLaughlin in Moscow.
Returning from Friday's UN Security Council session in New York, the Russian Foreign Minister, Mr Igor Ivanov, denounced a proposal from the US, Britain and Spain to give Iraq until next Monday to destroy its alleged cache of weapons of mass destruction or face war.
"We believe that such ultimatums are not justified, particularly since the heads of the inspection groups themselves requested several months to complete their work," Mr Ivanov said on Saturday, after inspectors told the Security Council that Iraq was increasing its co-operation with their requests.
"If the United States unilaterally begins military action in relation to Iraq, it would violate the UN Charter and, of course, when the UN Charter is violated, the Security Council must gather, discuss the situation and make the corresponding decisions."
Mr Gennady Seleznyov, the speaker in Russia's lower house of parliament, flew to Baghdad yesterday to meet Mr Hussein.
After returning to Moscow with Mr Ivanov, the Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr Yuri Fedotov, suggested that Russia might use its veto to block the US-led effort to force the pace over Iraq.
