I thought we were friends with the new Russia.

New Zealand News - - Russia slams US on Iraq, scorns 'liberation' claim MOSCOW - Russia today fired a new broadside against the United States over its military action against Iraq, scorning claims its troops were "liberating" Iraqis and accusing it of defying world opinion.

Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, using language at times reminiscent of the Cold War rivalry with Washington, said: "What the United States is doing challenges not only Iraq, but the whole world."

Addressing parliament as US and British forces pressed forward to Baghdad, Ivanov said the evidence so far gainsaid US efforts to portray its troops as a liberating force freeing Iraqis from Saddam Hussein's rule.

"It is already becoming clear how far removed from reality are their attempts to present military action against Iraq as a triumphant march for the liberation of the Iraqi people with minimal casualties and destruction," he told the Federation Council (upper house).

He counselled Washington and London not to make unsubstantiated claims to have found caches of banned weapons in Iraq to justify their military offensive.

"If there are claims by coalition forces about discovering weapons of mass destruction... only international inspectors can make a conclusive assessment of the origin of these weapons," he said.

"No other evaluation and final conclusion can be accepted."