UNITED NATIONS - Russia, Europe and Arab states piled pressure on Iraq on Friday to readmit U.N. arms inspectors, as key U.N. Security Council members discussed a deadline for Iraqi compliance to avert a U.S.-led war.

Secretary of State Colin Powell met the other four permanent council members with veto power -- Russia, Britain, France and China -- to seek agreement on a council resolution giving Iraq an ultimatum to obey U.N. disarmament demands.

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw told reporters the five had not reached agreement on a specific deadline.

"But I think it is fair to say there is a very clear understanding that if we get a certain imperative to get those weapons inspectors back then that has to mean a time limit."

"There was complete unanimity on getting the weapons inspectors back into Iraq," Straw declared. The arms experts left in December 1998, the eve of a U.S.-British bombing raid and have not been allowed to return since.

Powell said after the meeting the wording of any new resolution was yet to be decided, but said he was "reasonably sure" that it must contain a deadline for Iraq.

A resolution in the 15-member Security Council needs a minimum of nine votes in favor and no veto.

Washington accuses Baghdad of developing deadly weapons in defiance of U.N. demands first set out at the end of the 1991 Gulf War that drove Iraqi occupation troops from Kuwait.

Russia gave no comfort to its former ally, saying Iraq must obey U.N. resolutions or face the consequences. But its comments fell short of supporting military action.

"Security Council resolutions are binding. Should Iraq refuse to cooperate with the Security Council, the Iraqi leadership will have to assume responsibility for all possible consequences," Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov told the Interfax news agency after talks with EU delegates.

France again proposed a two-stage approach under which Iraq would be given three weeks to accept the weapons inspectors without conditions. If required, a second resolution would follow to approve the use of force.

"France's idea of a two-stage approach was well received," said Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin after the meeting of the five council members. "That's not to say there aren't other options, but no one blocked our suggestion."

The European Union said Iraq could not be allowed to waste any more time before accepting the arms inspectors, whose task is to ensure the elimination of any Iraqi nuclear, chemical, biological and ballistic weapons programs.

ARAB PRESSURE

Arab officials said Egypt and Jordan had pressed Iraq to allow a resumption of the inspections, which were halted just before a U.S.-British bombing campaign in December 1998.

Powell said the United States would consult all 15 council members "in the days and weeks ahead" to produce one or more resolutions to deal with the Iraqi problem.

A senior State Department official said Powell wanted any resolution to spell out Iraq's violations, tell Baghdad what to do within a set deadline and "say what action the Security Council or members would take should Iraq not comply."

President Bush, in a blunt speech to the 190-nation General Assembly, on Thursday urged the United Nations to force Iraq to disarm, and said action was inevitable if Baghdad failed to do so.

He did not promise to wait for U.N. approval for any military action, but said he would work with the Security Council for the "necessary resolutions" to support U.S. plans.

SIGH OF RELIEF

Relieved that the United States was not launching war on Iraq immediately, world leaders have welcomed Bush's call for the United Nations to force Baghdad to comply with its will.

"We share fully the deep concerns over Iraq's defiance and over its weapons of mass destruction," Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller, whose country is current EU president, said after separate talks with Powell and Ivanov.

"We put great value on the decision of President Bush to address the problem of Iraq multilaterally," he said, adding that Iraq could no longer waste time on weapons inspections.

Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz on Friday rejected the unconditional return of the inspectors, saying the move would not avert U.S. military designs on Baghdad.

Arab states have unanimously opposed any attack on Iraq, but some have urged Baghdad to readmit the arms monitors.

"We have sent an appeal, and we ask our brothers in Iraq to respond to this invitation and accept the return of the U.N. inspectors in accordance with Security Council resolutions," Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher told reporters.

Jordan, one of Iraq's Arab neighbors, has also repeatedly told the Iraqis they would be wise to let the inspectors back, added a senior Arab official who asked not to be named.