Russia expects and opposes military strike against Iraq

A high-ranking Russian official expects Iraq to receive a US-British military strike targeting military positions after Eid al-Fitr, adding that the strike will be carried out without legitimate international approval.

In a statement to the London-based al-Hayat daily issued on Sunday, the Russian official said Moscow will veto any draft UN resolution in this respect to be submitted to the UN Security Council during its session Monday to discuss the crisis between Baghdad and the UN inspection team, voicing confidence that France and China will side with the Russian stand.

Russian ambassador to the UN Sergey Lavrov cited on Friday in New York a "need to rely entirely on diplomatic efforts and to keep searching for diplomatic solutions for the full solution of problems of access."

The US is indicating readiness to strike reportedly in "a matter of weeks". The US has said that if the UN security council does not come along, then it is willing to go it alone. Britain is the only supporter in this effort internationally, and has sent its warships the "Invincible" and Royal Fleet Auxiliary "Fort Victoria" in support of the US.

Russia is insistent that the UN security council, be used as the only legitimate mean of dealing with this issue without making the Security Council appear as a tool of the US, and that the US will follow the UN Security Council decisions

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Press secretary for Russia at the UN Kirill Speransky told ArabicNews.com, "Russian Federation considers any unilateral action of military character unacceptable, except by the resolution of the Security Council."