LONDON, March 4: Russia steered onto a collision course with the United States on Tuesday, warning it may use its power of veto in the UN Security Council to block any resolution paving the way for war on Iraq.
Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov also appealed for UN weapons inspectors in Iraq to be allowed to set their own deadline for judging President Saddam Hussein’s efforts to disarm.
In a BBC World Service interview ahead of talks with British counterpart Jack Straw in London, Ivanov insisted Moscow would not support any measure furthering the possibility of war in a Security Council vote on Iraq.
“If the situation so demands, Russia will of course use its right of veto as an extreme measure,” Ivanov said. “Russia would not support any decision that would directly or indirectly lead to a war with Iraq.”
At a later news conference with Straw, he also said Russia would not abstain in a vote because Iraq was too grave an issue to opt out of.
“The Iraq question is precisely that sort of question when permanent members of the Security Council should not abstain.”
POLES APART: Britain and the United States are pressing for a second UN resolution, declaring Saddam has had his last chance to disarm — effectively a trigger for war.
Washington has signalled it will push for a vote next week. France, Russia and China — who hold veto powers at the UN — say UN arms inspectors in Iraq must be given more time.
At the news conference after an hour of talks, Straw did not try to hide their differences. “There are some outstanding questions,” he said. “It may be possible to resolve them.”
The two ministers tried to play down the split, saying they had not discussed the possibility of vetoes at their talks.
Ivanov declared resolution 1441 giving Saddam a last chance to disarm, which was passed unanimously last year, did not allow for automatic use of force against Iraq.
But Straw said the opposite when he addressed parliament earlier in the day. “We are satisfied that we have sufficient legal authority in resolution 1441 and other resolutions to justify military action against Iraq if they are in further material breach,” he said.
But Ivanov told the BBC it would be a “serious mistake with serious consequences” to go to war without a second resolution.
He insisted unanimity in the Security Council, rather than talk of veto-wielding, was the best way forward.
“Only unanimity will provide success in the solution of the Iraqi problem,” he said. “In the past Iraq used the differences in the Security Council and has managed to avoid solutions.”
Ivanov called for binding time limits to be set by UN inspectors, led by chief weapons inspector Hans Blix and the head of the UN nuclear watchdog Mohammed ElBaradei.
Blix and ElBaradei are due to address the Security Council on Friday.
Ivanov said he believed Russia and other members would speak afterwards in favour of the weapons inspectors continuing their work.—Reuters