MOSCOW, Sept 4: Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov said on Thursday that Russia may send peacekeepers to Iraq as part of an international force, the Interfax news agency reported.

“It all depends on a specific resolution. I would not exclude it outright,” Mr Ivanov said during Russian military manoeuvres in the southern Astrakhan region.

Mr Ivanov’s statement was the first signal that Russia may contribute peacekeepers for the US-led coalition force in Iraq. Russia had strongly opposed the war and after it ended pushed for the UN to take charge.

BRITISH TROOPS: British defence secretary has ordered a review of British troop levels in Iraq following weeks of heightened insecurity, but Prime Minister Tony Blair said in London on Thursday that there has been no decision to send additional forces. “We keep it under review constantly because we’ve got to get the job done, but there are no decisions that have been taken on additional troops,” Mr Blair told a news conference.—APP/AP