France 'cannot accept ultimatum'

Villepin: "War is not necessary, we can do otherwise." Story Tools VIDEO With a possible war in neighboring Iraq looming, Kuwaitis fear what's ahead -- but fear the consequences of doing nothing even more. CNN's Gordon Robison reports. PLAY VIDEO The U.S. president is ready to make his final effort to extract a resolution from the U.N. Security Council that would produce an ultimatum for Iraq. CNN's John King reports. PLAY VIDEO SPECIAL REPORT •  War Tracker •  On the Scene Map •  Commanders: U.S. | Iraq •  Weapons: 3D Models •  Coalition casualties | POW/MIA •  Special Report RELATED • Gallery: Voices of the world

PARIS, France (CNN) -- France cannot accept a U.N. resolution that includes an ultimatum calling for the automatic use of force to disarm Iraq, French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin says.

Reacting to the "coalition of the willing" summit in the Azores, Villepin said Monday the leaders of the United States, Great Britain and Spain "must ask themselves if war is really necessary."

Villepin reiterated France's position that it is still possible to disarm Iraq peacefully, noting that U.N. weapon inspections are working.

Following the Azores summit, U.S. President George W. Bush said the U.S. and its allies would make its final effort Monday to extract a resolution from the U.N. Security Council giving Iraq an ultimatum to disarm immediately or be disarmed by force.

Bush called the day "a moment of truth for the world."

But despite severe criticism from the United States, France is sticking with its demand that U.N. arms inspectors be given more time.

"France cannot accept the resolution that is on the table in New York ... which poses an ultimatum and which envisages an automatic use of force," Villepin told Europe 1 radio.

"France has said what it would do [if such a U.N. resolution was proposed]," he said, a reference to President Jacques Chirac's threat to use France's right of veto in the U.N. Security Council.

Chirac proposed setting a 30-day deadline for Iraq to meet a series of disarmament criteria and also defended his country's stance in an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour. (Staunch voice)

Relations 'undamaged'

The current crisis is with Iraq and not between France and the U.S. or Britain, the French foreign minister stressed.

The United States was a "precious ally" and tensions over Iraq would not damage U.S.-French relations, he said.

But he warned "one country can win a war but it takes more than one country to win peace."

Villepin also said there was no evidence of a link between Iraq and the al Qaeda terror network.

France has called for an emergency U.N. ministerial meeting Tuesday to set a timetable for Iraq's peaceful disarmament.

The call ignores a Monday deadline set by the U.S. and three allies for the U.N. to authorize war against Baghdad.

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