Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for the quick return of international weapons inspectors to Iraq.
A joint statement issued after a meeting between Mr Putin and visiting Chilean President Ricardo Lagos said the two countries "believe that it's necessary to ensure the earliest deployment of the ... inspectors in that country."
Mr Putin's call comes amid an attempt by the United States and Britain to authorize a new Security Council resolution that would give UN inspectors broad new powers to hunt for weapons of mass destruction and provide them with military backing, if need be.
But Russia, one of five permanent Council members with veto power, has spoken out against a new resolution, saying it would unnecessarily delay UN inspectors' return to Iraq.
Abdel-Razzak al-Hashimi, a senior member of Iraq's ruling Baath party who led an Iraqi delegation visiting Moscow this week, assailed the US draft as a way to push Iraq into a corner.
"It's written in such a way that Iraq will never be able to implement it," al-Hashimi said at a news conference today. "So, the Americans and the British would say, 'Ah, you see, Iraq isn't in compliance,' so bombs and rockets start to come."
Russian Foreign Minister Mr Igor Ivanov on Wednesday hinted at a possible compromise, saying that Russia might consider a new resolution.
In an apparent bid to secure stronger support from Moscow against US pressure, top Iraqi officials have promised to move forward with an ambitious five-year plan to sign new contracts worth $40 billion with Russian companies.
Al-Hashimi angrily denied allegations that the plan, which many Russian media have described as unfeasible, was an attempt to buy Moscow's support.