- News>
- World
No Russian troops will be sent to Iraq: Putin
Moscow, Nov 04: President Vladimir Putin said firmly that Russia won`t contribute troops to an international peacekeeping force in Iraq, saying that the latest United Nations resolution had fallen short of creating conditions for Moscow`s involvement.
Moscow, Nov 04: President Vladimir Putin said firmly that Russia won't contribute troops to an international peacekeeping force in Iraq, saying that the latest United Nations resolution had fallen short of creating conditions for Moscow's involvement.
Putin, speaking in an interview with Italian media that was posted on the Kremlin website today, said that further action is needed to increase the UN's political clout in Iraq and speed up the transfer of power to the Iraqis.
"In order to achieve the full unity of the international community on Iraq, it's necessary to take further steps aimed at giving the United Nations more opportunities for directly managing the political situation in that country," Putin said. "Until that happens, many countries will see certain restrictions on their active participation in rebuilding Iraq."
Referring to US arguments that the Iraqis still aren't ready to run their own affairs, Putin agreed that "it's necessary to act accurately to avoid creating a vacuum of power," but warned against dragging out the restoration of Iraq's sovereignty.
A delay in doing that will foment unrest that could acquire "an inertia that would be hard to fight," Putin warned. He ruled out any Russian military role in Iraq.
"The latest resolution is a step in the right direction, but it's not sufficient for us to even consider sending troops," Putin said in the interview.
Bureau Report
"In order to achieve the full unity of the international community on Iraq, it's necessary to take further steps aimed at giving the United Nations more opportunities for directly managing the political situation in that country," Putin said. "Until that happens, many countries will see certain restrictions on their active participation in rebuilding Iraq."
Referring to US arguments that the Iraqis still aren't ready to run their own affairs, Putin agreed that "it's necessary to act accurately to avoid creating a vacuum of power," but warned against dragging out the restoration of Iraq's sovereignty.
A delay in doing that will foment unrest that could acquire "an inertia that would be hard to fight," Putin warned. He ruled out any Russian military role in Iraq.
"The latest resolution is a step in the right direction, but it's not sufficient for us to even consider sending troops," Putin said in the interview.
Bureau Report