“If international terrorists achieve this goal, they will celebrate a victory over America and the whole anti-terrorist coalition, which could lead to an increase in international terrorism,” the Russian leader stressed.

“Russia has always been against a military operation in Iraq, and today, our position also differs from that of President Bush. All I can say will be the opinion of a person from a different camp,” Mr. Putin said.

The Russian President noted that he would not like to spoil his relations with either US presidential candidate. He said the Russian government would respect the choice of the American people, Channel One reported.

Vladimir Putin is attending a summit of the Central Asian Cooperation organization in Dushanbe. The agenda of the meeting is topped by the fight against terrorism, organized crime and religious extremism. Russia officially joined the organization on October 18.

Early voting for the US general election begins in Florida on Monday. The early-voting system was introduced after the 2000 elections. The US presidential election is scheduled for November 2, 2004. Both candidates – President George W. Bush and John Kerry – have almost equal chances to win.