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American Morning

Moscow in Middle

Aired March 05, 2003 - 07:06   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Time is critical for another key player in the Iraqi crisis -- that is Russia. The foreign minister met this morning with Tony Blair; expected later to meet with French President Jacques Chirac.
For more on the position from Moscow, here's Jill Dougherty tracking that for us today.

Jill -- hello.

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF: Hello, Bill.

Well, you've been hearing some really strong rhetoric coming out of Russia, specifically out of the foreign minister, Igor Ivanov. He was in London, and he made some very strong comments, saying that our flexibility is not limitless, that it would be wrong to go ahead with military action at this point when there's a chance for some type of political settlement.

He also said, as he has said before, that Russia could use its veto. And then finally, he said something that was pretty unexpected. He said it was unlikely that Russia would stand aside, that it would abstain on that second resolution.

And that, Bill, has been the theory here, the going theory in Moscow that when it came down to the actual vote that Russia would abstain, but it looks as if Igor Ivanov is saying that's not likely to happen.

So, where does that leave us? Well, right now, it looks as if what the Russians would like to happen is for the United States not to bring up that resolution at all, because it would really solve some problems for them. They wouldn't have to come down on one side or the other, they could keep their good relationship with the United States, not use a veto, and it really would solve some problems. But that's still depending upon what the United States, Britain and Spain do -- Bill.

HEMMER: And still 48 hours away from Hans Blix at the U.N. Jill Dougherty in Moscow.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.






Aired March 5, 2003 - 07:06   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Time is critical for another key player in the Iraqi crisis -- that is Russia. The foreign minister met this morning with Tony Blair; expected later to meet with French President Jacques Chirac.
For more on the position from Moscow, here's Jill Dougherty tracking that for us today.

Jill -- hello.

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF: Hello, Bill.

Well, you've been hearing some really strong rhetoric coming out of Russia, specifically out of the foreign minister, Igor Ivanov. He was in London, and he made some very strong comments, saying that our flexibility is not limitless, that it would be wrong to go ahead with military action at this point when there's a chance for some type of political settlement.

He also said, as he has said before, that Russia could use its veto. And then finally, he said something that was pretty unexpected. He said it was unlikely that Russia would stand aside, that it would abstain on that second resolution.

And that, Bill, has been the theory here, the going theory in Moscow that when it came down to the actual vote that Russia would abstain, but it looks as if Igor Ivanov is saying that's not likely to happen.

So, where does that leave us? Well, right now, it looks as if what the Russians would like to happen is for the United States not to bring up that resolution at all, because it would really solve some problems for them. They wouldn't have to come down on one side or the other, they could keep their good relationship with the United States, not use a veto, and it really would solve some problems. But that's still depending upon what the United States, Britain and Spain do -- Bill.

HEMMER: And still 48 hours away from Hans Blix at the U.N. Jill Dougherty in Moscow.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.