MOSCOW: Russia refused to budge on Friday in its opposition to an attack against Iraq, arguing that President Bush has yet to exhaust all options for a political solution even as it insisted on the right to attack a neighbour accused of sheltering terrorists.

With its veto power, Russia emerged as perhaps the key country on the UN Security Council as the Bush administration sought to persuade the international body to issue a new ultimatum to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. But Russia’s threat to launch a strike against Chechen rebel camps across the border in Georgia presented an unexpected challenge for the Bush team.

Both sides disavowed any linkage between the two issues. But Russian President Vladimir Putin effectively injected the issue of Georgia by warning of unilateral action against the former Soviet republic this week at the same time Bush was soliciting allies against Iraq.

Russian politicians and analysts were discussing a possible Georgia-for-Iraq deal-Russia would not block Bush’s plan to topple Saddam if the Americans step aside in Georgia.

“If the US thinks it is possible to conduct military actions against a state because there is suspicion that it is making weapons of mass destruction, likewise Russia as a member of the anti-terrorist coalition can bomb Georgia because there are terrorists on Georgian territory,” said Irina Khakamada, a deputy speaker of the State Duma, the lower house of parliament.

A visiting US diplomat rejected the notion of a direct tradeoff. “I don’t see that there really are any quid pro quos to be had, whether with Russia or others,” said Undersecretary of State John Bolton, who was here consulting with Russian leaders about Iraq and other issues. “I think our case is extremely strong and stands on its own merits.”

Yet a senior US official said Washington was open to hearing Russia’s arguments for action against Georgia and suggested that the two countries might find “common interest” on the need for pre-emptive strikes against terrorists.

As one of five permanent Security Council members, Russia could single-handedly block any resolution threatening force. Britain supports the United States, France has moved closer to Bush’s position and US diplomats say they believe they can persuade China to at least abstain if Russia sides with the United States.

Russia has long complained that Georgia harbours Chechen guerrillas in the Pankisi Gorge. Seizing on the anniversary of the Sept 11 attacks this week, Putin employed Bush’s own logic in announcing that he would authorize military action against Georgia if the tiny, mountainous country does not rid its territory of people he has characterized as terrorists.

“He’s assuming very cleverly the same framework that Bush is,” said Fiona Hill, a Brookings Institution scholar who studies the region.

Many Russian newspapers speculated on Friday on a potential trade-off. “The ‘deal’ between Bush and Putin — who traded Saddam Hussein for (Georgian President) Eduard Shevardnadze — is the talk of the day in the Russian political establishment,” said the Vremya Novostei newspaper. The paper quoted ultranationalist parliamentary leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky, a supporter of the Iraqi leader, as saying: “Russia will condemn the operation against Iraq, but will not take any preventive measures. In return, America will wink at Russia’s operation in Georgia.”

The State Department took “strong exception” on Thursday to any threats by Russia against Georgia and said the United States would “oppose any unilateral military action” there. Russia offered no response on Friday, but Shevardnadze took heart from the remarks, seeing them as a sign that Washington would not abandon him.—Dawn/The Washington Post News Service.