Moscow Against Washington and London's Aspirations to Legitimise Iraqi War

The USA and Great Britain have sent letters to the UN Security Council to provide legal grounds for the Iraqi war, Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Yuri Fedotov said.

"They have not contacted us, but sent their letters to the UN Security Council," the deputy minister said in an interview with Vremya Novostei. Moscow sees no justification for the two countries' positions. "Our lawyers have also given their assessment," the deputy minister stated.

Fedotov confirmed that Russia was prepared to talk on the issue that was brought up several times. "There are no UN resolutions authorising force against Iraq without obtaining the Security Council's permission," Fedotov said. "Any actions not approved by the Security Council violates international law." Moscow wants the Iraqi crisis to be resolved within the UN Security Council framework, Fedotov said in reply to the question on the possibility of UN peacekeepers' presence in the conflict zone. "The international community has experience in settling conflicts. Peacekeeping forces were widely employed. We need to assess how the situation will progress," the deputy minister said.