MOSCOW (AP)--Russia will do all it can to restore peace if the U.S. launches a military attack against Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's regime, a senior Russian official said Tuesday as Russia's foreign minister prepared to travel to New York for a foreign ministers' meeting at the U.N.
"The world, including Russia and other interested countries, must do everything necessary to seek a path that returns the situation around Iraq to a peaceful channel," said Oleg Chernov, deputy secretary of Russian President Vladimir Putin's Security Council, Interfax reported.
Putin Monday condemned military action against Iraq, warning war would be a mistake that could pose a grave risk to international security.
The Kremlin, which has long argued for Baghdad's peaceful disarmament, had earlier made it clear that it wouldn't approve a U.S.-backed resolution in the U.N. Security Council which would open the way to military conflict. U.S. President George W. Bush withdrew the resolution Monday, and gave Saddam Hussein 48 hours to leave Iraq or face war.
Saddam has remained defiant, and Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, head of Russia's Kalmykia region, was quoted as telling Interfax Tuesday from the Iraqi capital that "neither Saddam Hussein nor his sons are planning on fleeing Iraq and are prepared to defend their country."
Ilyumzhinov, who also heads the World Chess Federation, met with Saddam's oldest son, Odai, Monday.
The Foreign Ministry spokesman, Alexander Yakovenko, said Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov was scheduled to leave for New York later Tuesday.
"In Moscow, as before, we believe that there is no basis to declare that the political-diplomatic regulation of the situation around Iraq has no prospects, that 'the time for diplomacy has passed'," Yakovenko told ORT television.
Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Saltanov told Interfax that about 25 Russian diplomats were still working in the Russian Embassy in Baghdad, and that the embassy was operating as normal.
"In an emergency situation, Russians who are still in Iraq, including journalists, will leave the country either by plane or by land through neighboring Iran or other countries," Saltanov was quoted as saying.
The Russian leader also discussed the Iraqi crisis by telephone Tuesday with China's new president, Hu Jintao. The Kremlin's press service said the leaders underlined "the commonality of their positions."