Russian President Vladimir Putin is warning against unilateral U.S. action in Iraq, saying only the United Nations can sanction such a move.

In an interview with the New York-based newspaper Wall Street Journal (published in Monday's edition), Mr. Putin says he opposes drawing up what he calls blacklists, a reference to President Bush's labelling Iraq, Iran and North Korea as part of an "axis of evil."

Mr. Putin describes Iraq as a problem that Russia is willing to help solve, but only under U.N. auspices.

Mr. Putin says that after the September 11 terror attacks, Russia and other nations have stood by the United States and the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan. But he insists the international community would not back the United States in the case of Iraq.

The Russian leader does not rule out U.N. sanctioned military action against Iraq, but says it would be a last resort. He says the first goal should be to secure the return of U.S. arms inspectors to Iraq.

In the Wall Street Journal interview, Mr. Putin goes on to to praise what he describes as "a new level of trust" between Washington and Moscow and said the partnership is key to world stability.

Russia is Iraq's major trading partner and has been trying to persuade Baghdad to allow U.N. arms inspectors back into the country in exchange for suspension of international sanctions. The U.N. inspectors left Iraq at the end of 1998 and Iraqi government refuses to let them return.

Some information for this report provided by AFP and AP.

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