Governments around the world are increasingly expressing strong opposition to the prospect of a US-led war against Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq.

Where do America's key European allies and Russia and China - veto-holding members of the UN Security Council - stand on the issue?

US Vice-President Dick Cheney

We will not simply look away, hope for the best and leave the matter for some future administration to resolve.

27 August 2002

US President George Bush

I am a patient man. We will look at all options and we will consider all technologies available. One thing for certain is that... regime change is in the interest of the world.

21 August 2002

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair

Action is not imminent, we are not at the point of decision yet, and there are many issues to be considered before we are at the point of decision. And I would simply say to you that if you look at what we did in relation for example to Afghanistan, we consulted the House of Commons very carefully, but I am not going to pin myself to any specific form of consultation.

25 July, 2002

UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw

We don't rule out the possibility of military action. Neither, in our view, should anybody. It's quite, therefore, prudent of the United States government not to rule out military action against the Saddam Hussein regime. At the same time, let me repeat what the Prime Minister and I have made all too clear so often, and that is that no decisions about military action have been taken here.

1 August, 2002

French President Jacques Chirac

I don't want to imagine an attack against Iraq, an attack that could not be justified unless it is decided by the Security Council.

2 August 2002

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder

Under my leadership Germany will not be available for adventures

6 August, 2002

Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel

Morally, politically we could take charge in the world. But the British are blocking that. They still don't understand that they could play a pioneer role in Europe instead of submissively following the US.

26 August, 2002

Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov

Political and diplomatic potential for a settlement of the Iraq situation has by no means yet been exhausted. We believe that diplomatic methods alone will provide a solution.

25 July, 2002

Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan

The Iraq question should be resolved within the framework of the UN by diplomatic and political means... Resorting to force or threatening to resort to force will not solve the problem; on the contrary it leads to more tensions and troubles.

State-run Chinese television report, 27 August, 2002

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan

It would be unwise to attack Iraq, given the current circumstances of what's happening in the Middle East

7 August, 2002