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'Long road' for U.S. Iraq proposal
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- A top Russian official has predicted a long road ahead for the U.S.-proposed resolution on Iraq following a weekend of informal talks, according to a report. "The consultations for a U.N. Security Council draft resolution continue and are showing that the majority of Security Council members believe that the ideas proposed by the Americans need clarification, and revision -- some of which is very substantive," Deputy Foreign Minister Yuri Fedotov told Russia's Interfax news agency. Pointing out the extent of the differences, Fedotov said that while "in principle a meeting (of Security Council foreign ministers) could be useful, a lot of work needs to be done to bring the positions (of member countries) closer together in order for that meeting to end with some results." Fedotov's comments come after a flurry of phone calls over the weekend with France, Germany and Saudi Arabia and consultations at the United Nations last week. Earlier, U.N. General Secretary Kofi Anaan suggested a meeting of foreign ministers by the start of next week to hash out member states' differences on Washington's draft resolution requesting help in Iraq. The U.S. resolution comes after weeks of heightened insecurity in Iraq, including several suicide bombings that have left more than 100 people dead -- including at least 20 at U.N. headquarters in Baghdad. On Sunday night, U.S. President George W. Bush made a televised address to his nation in which he said he would ask the U.S. Congress for an additional $87 billion to continue the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq -- and that he would also ask more nations to help pay the cost. (Full story) Last week, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said the U.S. proposal "contains provisions that reflect principles consistently supported by Russia, but it's going to need some very serious work," Interfax reported. (Full story) The Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said Russia would consider sending troops to Iraq depending on the wording of the resolution, if it was adopted unanimously. Russian officials have remained silent on exactly what changes they would like to see, speaking instead in generalities. "Russia continues to call for the U.N. to receive a genuinely active and substantial role in the construction of post-war Iraq," Fedotov said, "and that the Iraqi people get a clear picture that there will be a legitimate Iraqi government, and a restoration of their country's sovereignty." Russia was allied with Germany and France against U.S. military action in Iraq, but France and Germany took the lead in voicing that opposition. There has been some warming of relations between Russia and the United States since the war. Bush has been forced to reassess his administration's policy, which had resisted U.N. involvement after the Security Council failed to back the war to overthrow Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. But it is now soliciting more international support for the occupation in the face of continuing guerrilla attacks and bombings.
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