Russia's top diplomat ruled out the idea of creating a no-fly zone over Libya on March 1 as embattled leader Moammar Gaddafi unleashed bombing raids, special forces and army troops in a desperate bid to retain power.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described the idea of imposing limits on Libyan air space as "superfluous" and said world powers must instead focus on fully using the sanctions that the UN Security Council approved over the weekend.
Leaders in the U.S., Europe and Australia have suggested the military tactic - used successfully for years in northern Iraq - to prevent Gaddafi from bombing his own people. Russia's consent is required as a veto-wielding member of the Security Council.
Russian newswires quoted a Kremlin source saying Gaddafi must step down since by using force against civilians he has become a "political corpse." But Russia's NATO ambassador Dmitry Rogozin also cautioned against moving militarily against Gaddafi without UN authorization.
"If someone in Washington is seeking a blitzkrieg in Libya, it is a serious mistake because any use of military force outside the NATO responsibility zone will be considered a violation of international law," Rogozin told Russia's Interfax news agency in Brussels.
"A ban on the national air force or civil aviation to fly over their own territory is still a serious interference into the domestic affairs of another country, and at any rate it requires a resolution of the UN Security Council," he said, The Associated Press reported.
The council's sanctions so far include an arms embargo on Gaddafi, four of his sons and a daughter and leaders of revolutionary committees accused of much of the violence against opponents. It urged 192 member nations to freeze Libyan assets and authorized an investigation into Gaddafi's regime for possible crimes against humanity.
The Europe Union added its own sanctions Feb 28 to force the dictator to stop attacks on civilians and step down after 42 years of iron-fisted rule. It issued travel bans and an asset freeze against senior Libyan officials, and ordered an arms embargo on the country. Germany went further, proposing a 60-day economic embargo to prevent Gaddafi from using oil and other revenues to repress his people.
